Tales of Warcraft: Karis
by loc-zsu
Summary: For Karis, life had become hard, sent to the Cenarion Hold by her parents, she soon ran away to get away from it all. It wasn't long before she runs into the Night Elf Tylira. Soon, Karis' life takes a complete turn for the unexpected.
1. Chapter 1

_Karis_

-A Warcraft Tale-  
-Part of the "Tales of Warcraft" series-

By Loc-zsu

* * *

The events of this story are set in the MMORPG World of Warcraft roughly during the time of the Burning Crusade expansion.

Credit goes to Blizzard for creating the world that this story takes part in, as well as many of the characters involved.

Karis, Tylira and quite a few other characters that will appear later are completely custom created characters and used with permission of the creators.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Karis didn't much like it in Silithus. With slight difficulty, and a fair amount of grumbling on her part, she scrambled to the top of the sand dune before her. As she pulled her young, petite frame on to a nearby rock, a slight breeze washed across her, bringing with it a large gust of sand.

Coughing and spluttering, her eyes watering, Karis pulled her slightly tattered cloak tighter around her, lifting it up slightly so as to cover her mouth and nose from the onslaught of wind driven sand. Her purple tinted skin that remained exposed stung slightly from the tiny specks that struck her, causing her to grumble more.

Turning around so that her back was to the wind, she reached up and rubbed her weeping eyes, only succeeding in grinding the sand into them even more. Letting out an inaudible sigh, Karis chastised herself for not thinking to take any kind of eye-wear with her when she ran away from the Cenarion Hold.

In fact, she had brought very little with her when she snuck away in the dead of night. All she had was a canteen, which was now only half filled with water, a small pouch with some various bits of food in and the clothes she was wearing. The protective eye-wear, however, wasn't the only thing she wished she had brought with her. Her long, dark hair had nothing to shield it from the onslaught of sand, and in the few days that she had been ambling around Silithus, it had become very dry and weathered, losing its usual gleam. This, of course, didn't stop it from constantly blowing into her face when she was trying to work out where to go.

Where she should go… It was something that Karis hadn't quite worked out for herself. She certainly wasn't going to go back to Darnassus, to her parents. Her mother was always too busy with her guard duties, and her father spent all his time in the market place. It was why they sent her to live with her uncle in the Cenarion Hold in Silithus.

The Cenarion Hold was the other option that Karis flat out refused. She hated it there more than Darnassus. At least in Darnassus she had the other children to play with. In the Hold, she was stuck indoors all day, cleaning clothes for the troops, or arranging books, or cooking! She was twelve! She was meant to be out laughing and playing!

Feeling the anger build up inside her, Karis let out a strangled cry as she kicked out at the air, venting some of her frustration. It was no use her getting angry over the situation. She had forced herself here, after all. Sneaking about in Darnassus and watching the druids train in combat in a heavily guarded area had been the last straw for her parents.

Although the other children in the group had simply been told off by their parents for what they had done, Karis' own parents had jumped on it as an excuse to cart her away to the Hold for her uncle to look after her. It would teach her discipline, they had said to her as she begged and cried for them not to send her away. But they didn't listen to her. She had tried to escape from the supplies convoy they sent her with, but each time she was found and dragged back.

Her uncle hadn't been too pleased to see her either. Her mothers brother, he was much like his sister. He had trained to become a warrior, and was just as skilled at it as Karis' mother. Unlike her, however, he was sent to the Hold to help out there, rather than serve in Darnassus. Quick to anger, her uncle had been fast to put her to good use and keep her out of his hair. For the first month, Karis had hoped that her parents would turn up to whisk her away, apologising for what they had done.

It was after the second month that she gave up hoping. They weren't coming for her. They probably hadn't even thought about her since she was gone. With that knowledge in mind, Karis had decided she was going to leave. No one would miss her, and certainly not her family.

And now, she found herself wandering through Silithus, not sure where she was going to go, or what she was going to do. She had managed to avoid any Silithids that were often reported as roaming around the area, as well as the cultists too. She didn't have a weapon to fight with, and she hadn't exactly taken any combat training herself. All she had was her speed.

Deciding that she had spent long enough standing on the rock, Karis jumped down onto the sand, instantly losing her footing on its grainy surface. With a yelp, her arms flailing, she tumbled down the dune before coming to a stop at the bottom, sand now residing in every nook and cranny of her clothing.

Standing up, Karis shook herself down, the dune offering some protection from the wind as she did so. After a few minutes of shaking, and hopping around as she emptied her leather boots of any sand, Karis started walking on again. Numerous times, the wind threatened to pick up her tiny form and carry her away. Once, it almost succeeded, causing her to lift a few feet of the ground and hurtle forwards, planting face first into a near by dune.

After that instant, she had spent a few minutes curled up and crying. Her parents she may not have missed, but someone to just hold her…that was something else entirely. As she lay there, the sand starting to build up around her and cover her, Karis decided that enough was enough. She was sick to death of sand, and she wanted at least to talk to someone else.

With that in mind, she was soon back on her feet and trudging through the sands, determined to find a way out.

It was whilst she was wandering around that she was struck by a sweet, aromatic smell. At first Karis thought she had imagined it, simply shrugging slightly as she pushed some of her hair from her face and carried on. But then the smell came again, the smell of fresh flowers, and recent rain fall.

Determined this time that the smell was real, the young night elf chased the smell to its source, sniffing eagerly in the air. The smells lead her to the top of a long path that started to head up hill. Breaking into a slight sprint now, she managed to make it to the top, running past what looked to be a small encampment, and stopped as she looked at the source of the smell.

_Of course…_she thought to herself as she looked down into the large crater before her. Reaching outwards, covered by a thick canopy of trees, was the Un'goro Crater. A smile crept its way across Karis' cracked lips as the gentle warm breeze from the crater wrapped itself around her tired body.

She had read about the Crater when she was still in Darnassus and had been fascinated by it. She had always wondered how such a place could exist between two deserts, its lush forests full of life, surrounded by arid wastelands.

Slowly at first, Karis walked down the steep slope that lead into the Crater, the dry air of the desert soon being replaced by the more humid atmosphere of the thick forest, the occasional cool breeze blowing across her and cooling her down.

As she made it to the bottom, she stopped and closed her eyes, still smiling. All around her there was noise, but not the noise of a desert storm which she had had to endure in Silithus. The noise in Un'goro was much more pleasant. The sounds of birds chirping overhead as they flew between the trees, whose leaves rustled lightly in the wind. In the distance could be heard the noise of large creatures letting out slight roars, followed by gentle thumps as they walked along the thick green grass.

Opening her eyes again, Karis looked at the area around her, not sure of where she should go next. Looking down at her self and feeling her hair, she decided that it would be a good idea for her to get cleaned up. It didn't take her long to find a set of springs grouped together.

On the far side of the springs, in-between the steam that rose steadily from the hot water, Karis could make out large reptilian creatures that were running about, guarding nests. She remained still, watching them for a moment with keen interest, although at the same time, glad that they were on the other side, away from her.

Bringing herself back to her current situation, Karis quickly removed her clothing, chucking it in a pile by the side of the spring before running into the inviting waters. As soon as she felt the warm water touch her skin, she felt herself relax.

She hadn't had the chance for a proper wash since she had come down to the Hold. There was spare water for simple bathing and washing of her hair, but that was always it. Being in the middle of the desert, they rationed their water supply fiercely. Being able to take a proper bath was a welcome change for the young girl.

Soon, Karis spent her time simply resting against the edge of the spring, her entire body submerge under its refreshing waters, save for her head. Her eyes closed, Karis smiled even more, all the troubles of her mind fading away as she enjoyed the luxury she now found herself in.

Slowly opening her eyes again, she looked at her reflection in the shimmering water, noting the state of her hair. Taking in a deep breath, Karis dived under the waters surface, completely submerging herself as the water washed through her hair. Surfacing again, letting out her lung full of air and sucking in a fresh batch, she could already tell the water had had an affect on her hair.

After taking a few moments to swim about in the waters, Karis returned to the shore and climbed out of the water. Picking up her cloak, she dried herself down before shaking her clothes, getting as much sand off of them as she could before putting them back on again. After tying her cloak around her waist, Karis moved away from the springs, looking around.

As she stood away from the springs, she felt her stomach growl at her, signifying that it was time for her to get something to eat. Rubbing her belly slightly, Karis pulled out her small pouch and opened it, looking to see what was left inside. At the site of only a few crumbs, she let out a slight sigh and put the pouch back. It looked like she was going to have to forage for food.

Spending almost fifteen minutes looking for food, Karis found what looked to be edible fruit, handing from a tree. Looking around for something to use to get the fruit down, she eventually opted to throw stones at the fruit and hope that it would cause it to fall down.

Her first few throws missed wildly, bouncing off of the tree or sailing off to the side somewhere. Eventually, one of her throws hit its target, causing the fruit to shake slightly, but remain in place. Stamping her feet on the ground in a mild tantrum, Karis picked up more stones and started throwing them at the fruit.

As she threw a stone, a raven flew over head and landed on the branch that kept the fruit from Karis' reach. Karis looked at the darkly coloured bird as it perched itself there, looking down at her, its head tilted to the side.

"I don't suppose you want to help me, do you?" Karis asked the raven, pointing at the fruit then at her mouth. The raven continued to look at her for a moment before hopping along the branch so that it was positioned above the fruit. Karis nodded and smiled eagerly as the raven looked at the fruit, then her.

"That's it!" she said as she moved underneath the fruit. The raven watched her intently before stretching its wings and flying off of the branch, causing a frustrated moan to escape from Karis who fell to her knees.

As Karis sat on the ground, her stomach grumbled again, causing her to look up at the tantalizing fruit, wishing she could have it. From behind her there was a sudden bird call as the raven came flying back towards the fruit. Karis watched as the raven's wing seemed to slice through the stem holding the fruit up, causing it to drop down onto Karis' lap.

With a slight cry of joy, Karis picked up the fruit and took a large bite out of it, the sweet taste causing her to smile. The raven flew overhead again before landing on the ground in front of Karis, looking up at her.

Karis looked at the raven for a moment before breaking a piece of the fruit off and offering it to the bird.

"You helped me, so it's only fair you get some little guy" she said with a grin. The raven looked at her some more before bouncing over to her hand and taking the piece of fruit gladly, swallowing it down.

Karis shared the fruit with the raven, smiling the entire time. Once she was finished, she stood up and stretched her arms out above her head. She looked down at the raven who hopped up to her feet, tilting its head to the side as it looked up at her.

"Time for me to go on, little guy" Karis said to the raven, reaching down and lightly petting it, causing it to ruffle its feathers slightly. "Thanks for your help though! I doubt I would have gotten the fruit down by myself any time soon."

The raven let out a slight squawk before it stretched its wings and flew upwards, landing on Karis' shoulder. She winced slightly as she felt its talons dig into her shoulder slightly, but soon got used to it.

"You going to keep me company?" she asked the raven, looking at it. The raven squawked again, ruffling its feathers some more before nipping at its wings, seeming to be digging out some dirt. Karis smiled at her new found friend before checking she had everything. The last thing she wanted to do was lose what little possessions she currently had.

With the raven on her shoulder, Karis found herself feeling more upbeat about things as she moved through the thick undergrowth of the Crater. The further into the Crater she moved, the louder creatures started to become. More than once she narrowly avoided being stepped on by giant creatures.

"I don't think it's safe for me here…" Karis whispered to the raven on her shoulder, who responded with a quiet squawk of its own. Karis let out a sudden yelp as the ground shook underneath her, a large Devilsaur suddenly moving up behind her.

Karis turned and looked at the giant creature, which in turn stopped and looked at her. Karis remained frozen in place as she looked into its beady eyes, the raven on her shoulder squawking madly. Raising its head back, the Devilsaur let out an almighty roar before it started to charge towards the tiny girl.

Bringing herself back to reality, Karis turned around and sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her. Behind her she could here and feel the mighty Devilsaur bearing down on her, easily catching up with her as she jumped over loose branches, weaving past rocks.

Casting a quick glance behind her, Karis ran head first into a collection of low hanging vines, easily getting tangled up in them as she tried to escape. Struggling against the vines, she heard the Devilsaur approach her from behind, its foot steps starting to slow down as it sensed its prey was trapped.

Karis started to feel tears roll down her cheeks as she struggled further, trying to untangle herself. On her shoulder, the raven spread its wings before launching towards the Devilsaur, trying to claw at its eyes.

"Someone… help me!" Karis cried out as she felt her arms and legs start to ache from the struggling. Behind her, the raven continued its valiant efforts to distract the Devilsaur, buts its attempts were as futile as Karis' own. With tears now freely falling down her cheeks, Karis went limp as she cried heavily.

Her mind filled with thoughts of her family, of Darnassus. As much as she hated them, she still found herself missing them. Would they ever wonder what happened to her? Or was she now forgotten? Karis closed her eyes tight, waiting for the inevitable to happen. It was then that a soft voice broke through to her.

"Do not worry, child. You will be safe now." Karis opened her eyes, still sobbing slightly, and turned her head to the side, trying to find where the voice had come from. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted another night elf moving towards the Devilsaur, arms at their sides.

"Beast, it is in your best interest to leave" came the voice again. It was certainly a female voice, Karis could tell. It had a certain softness to it. "I do not wish to harm you, but I will if I have to."

The Devilsaur seemed to stop for a moment, ignoring the raven that was still circling around its head. It looked to the woman for a moment, regarding her. It let out another loud roar and lunch forwards, snapping its jaws at the same time.

From the corner of her eye, Karis watched the woman deftly jump out of the way, landing on the Devilsaurs head. The Devilsaur started to lurch about, trying to get the woman off, but every attempt seemed to fail. Reaching out, the woman placed her hand at the back of the creatures head, followed by a bright flash. The Devilsaur stopped for a moment, swaying on its legs slightly before falling forwards, seeming to be dazed.

The woman gracefully jumped off of the Devilsaur and moved quickly to Karis, the raven following behind her. Pulling a knife from a belt around her waist, the woman easily cut through the vines that were holding Karis in place. As soon as she was free, Karis turned around and wrapped her arms around the woman's waist, burying her face against her stomach, crying heavily.

A gentle smile formed on the woman's face as she placed a hand lightly on the back of Karis' head.

"It is ok" came her soft voice once more. "You are safe now."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Karis looked at her saviour from atop the large tree root she was using as a seat. The woman stood a few feet from her, allowing Karis a proper look. She was a tall, thin Night Elf woman, as they usually were. Her hair was green in colour that seemed to be swaying gently in the breeze. At that moment she seemed to be adorned in only a loose fitting piece of cloth that covered her chest, and another that was wrapped around her waist, reaching just above her knees. Her feet were bare, and seemed to be covered in mud from the Crater.

"You arent wearing much" Karis said quietly, looking at the woman. Her eyes were still read from the tears she had cried. Her raven had tried to cheer her up but bouncing on her knee and nipping playfully at her hand. "Do you live here or something?"

The woman looked at Karis and smiled that soft smile of her, letting out a faint chuckle. She shook her head slightly as she closed her eyes before opening them again.

"No, child" she said, her voice just as soft and calming as before. "I am wearing little, because of what I am. If I am not wearing the right clothes, they get in the way, and end up getting destroyed."

Karis looked at her with a confused expression, tilting her head to the side. She wasn't sure what the woman was on about. What did she mean about wearing "the right clothes"? How could there be wrong clothes? Before she could ask, the woman spoke again.

"Tell me, young one" she said, moving towards Karis slowly, her movement flowing and graceful, like a cat. "What is your name?" Karis remained quiet for a moment as the woman folded her arms across her chest, leaning more on one leg slightly.

"I'm Karis…" she said quietly, looking down at the raven in her lap. The woman smiled gently and gave a small nod.

"Nice to meet you, Karis" the woman said, moving over and sitting down gently beside Karis. "My name is Tylira." Karis looked at Tylira for a moment, studying her face, her gentle features. "You don't often see Night Elves around Un'goro Crater" she said, looking down at Karis, reaching out and gently petting the raven who gave a quiet squawk.

"Well…your out here, arent you?" Karis responded, looking up at Tylira. The taller Night Elf gave a quiet laugh and nodded slightly, placing her hands on her lap.

"Yes, I suppose I am" she said, still smiling gently. "That doesn't explain why you are here, however. Why is one as young as yourself in such a dangerous place?" Karis looked away for a moment as she was asked what she was doing. She pondered if she should tell the truth or not. _I could say I am with some travellers…or I have lived here all my life…or…_

Karis turned and looked to Tylira, opening her mouth to offer any kind of explanation. She looked into her eyes for a moment, the feeling of wanting to belong swelling up inside her again as tears formed in her own eyes. Unable to hold in her emotions, Karis started crying again. Tylira gently reached out and placed an arm around the young girl, gently pulling her to her to comfort her.

Between her sobs, Karis retold her tale to Tylira, telling her of her parents that ignored her, of how they sent her away. She then told her about her uncle, and how she was treated in Silithus. She eventually managed to get through it all, her tears starting to slow.

"Im sorry…" she said with a slight sniffle, looking up at Tylira as she wiped her nose. "I don't mean to cry all over you… I just miss how things were…when I was really young…mum and dad would always be holding me and caring for me….then, once I was old enough, they just went to work…"

"It is ok, Karis" Tylira said softly, her arm still wrapped gently around the young girl. "We all need to have a good cry sometimes." Tylira reached up with her other hand and lightly brushed some of the tears from Karis' face, smiling gently as she did so. "How about I take you with me for the time being, hmm? At the very least I can take you somewhere safer and cleaner than here."

Karis nodded slightly as she stifled a yawn, the emotional rollercoaster she was on starting to take its toll. She liked the idea of being somewhere where she wouldn't get attacked by giant Devilsaurs.

"Before we go anywhere though, I need you to keep a secret for me, ok?" Karis looked to Tylira, raising her eyebrows slightly. Secret? What secret? What was Tylira going to tell her? Karis simply nodded in agreement, still wondering what it was that she was going to be told.

"Well, as you know" Tylira said, slowly standing up and taking a few steps away before turning and looking at Karis. "A lot of Night Elf males go on to become druids. Female druids in our society are often frowned upon." Karis nodded again. She knew what she meant. Her own mother had wanted to become a druid, but was told that it "was not really allowed." It's why she became a guard.

"Well…" Tylira gave a mischievous smile before she took a step back. In front of Karis, Tylira started to change shape, her body starting to become coated in fur as she dropped down onto all fours, her bones seeming to grow and shrink and realign themselves. Karis could only watch as the transformation finished, leaving Tylira in the shape of a cat in front of her. The two pieces of cloth that Tylira had been wearing were now in tatters on the floor, unable to handle the change in shape of Tylira. _Guess that's what she meant about the right clothes… _Karis thought to herself as she cautiously jumped down from the tree root.

Tylira slowly walked towards Karis, her tail swishing from side to side. The raven let out a squawk as the large cat came forwards, flying up onto Karis' shoulder, gripping tightly onto its perch. Karis winced slightly as she watched Tylira. Once she was close enough, Karis reached out with her hand, gently placing it on Tylira's head, smiling at how soft her coat was.

"You're a druid" Karis finally said, to which Tylira responded by nodding slightly. Karis walked all around Tylira, studying her as she did so. Tylira remained still, allowing the young girl to look at her.

"But that's not allowed!" she said once she had completed a full circle of Tylira. "Did you get in trouble for it?" Once again, Tylira nodded slightly. Karis wanted to ask more questions about it all, like why did she do it if she knew she would get in trouble, but couldn't work out how to ask her when all Tylira could do was nod or shake her head.

"So…I guess you know where we are going next?" Karis asked Tylira. Karis certainly didn't know where they would be going. Tylira was the one who had said about taking her somewhere. She hadn't said where though.

Tylira gave a slight nod before moving behind Karis. The next thing Karis knew, Tylira had crouched down and put her head between Karis' legs, launching her up onto Tylira's back. Karis let out a slight yelp as she gripped onto Tylira. Once the druid was happy that Karis was secure, she started sprinting through the Crater.

Karis held on tightly as Tylira easily sprinted through the trees to where ever they were going. Occasionally, she would leap up in the air onto a rock before leaping back down to the ground again. The first few times it happened, Karis let out startled cries of fear, but soon she was letting out cries of excitement as they sped along.

Eventually, Tylira started to slow down before coming to a stop at the base of a large tree. She looked up, and Karis followed her gaze, spotting a bag hanging from a branch. Karis looked back down to Tylira who had turned her head to look at the young girl.

Getting the impression that the bag belonged to Tylira, Karis turned to the raven on her shoulder and pointed to the bag on the branch. With a squawk, the raven spread out its wings and launched upwards towards the bag. After several attempt at getting the bag moved, the raven eventually coaxed it off the branch, causing it to fall into Karis' waiting arms.

Keeping hold of the bag, Karis climbed down off of Tylira's back, landing on the muddy ground. Turning around, she held the bag out to Tylira who took hold of it in her mouth before turning and walking behind the tree.

After a few moments, Tylira came back from behind the tree, once again in her natural Night Elf form. She was also, once again, wearing some loose cloth to cover herself up. The bag was hanging from a strap around her waist.

"Now then, shall we?" Tylira said to Karis in her soft voice, holding out a hand towards the girl. With a smile on her face, Karis reached out and took hold of Tylira's hand as her raven returned to its perch on her shoulder.

"Does it hurt to change?" Karis asked Tylira as they started to walk away from the tree, eventually coming across a well trodden path. Tylira paused for a moment, letting out a faint chuckle before shaking her head slightly.

"Hurt?" she said quietly, a smile playing on the edge of her lips. "No, young one, I wouldn't say it hurts, but it is a very strange experience none the less." Karis nodded slightly, looking at Tylira for a moment. She imagined it must be weird for a normal person to find themselves in a different body all of a sudden.

As they followed the makeshift path that had been trodden into the ground by many travellers before them, Karis spotted a camp ahead of them. She looked at it with curiosity, wondering if this was the camp that Tylira was taking her to for rest. It certainly hadn't been what she expected it to be. As if reading her mind, Tylira suddenly spoke up.

"We arent staying there" she said, looking down to Karis. "We simply need to make use of a gryphon that they have there. It is faster to travel by gryphon than it is to travel on foot. At least around here it is." Karis let out a slight sigh of relief as she was told they weren't staying at the camp. Her mind then shifted to the second thing that Tylira had mentioned. Travel by gryphon.

When Karis had been in Darnassus, she had seen plenty of people flying by on gryphon's, going about their duties and tasks. She had always wanted to go on one herself, but she had never had the chance to. And now, she would get to find out.

As they entered the camp, a couple of the people present looked up from their tasks at the newcomers before returning to whatever they were doing. As they passed two people, Karis overheard their conversation.

"So, you want me to go out and kill some fire elementals and collect stuff from their ashes?"

"That's correct."

"What sort of reward are we looking at?"

Karis turned around and looked at the couple as they fell out of earshot, wondering what sort of reward could be offered to someone who was going to fight off against fire elementals. Soon, Tylira came to a stop next to a gryphon.

From beside the gryphon, a goblin came walking out, rubbing his hands with a cloth. He stopped in front of the two Night Elves and looked up at them. Karis tried not to laugh as she looked at the green man, who was smaller than she was.

"Whaddaya want?" the goblin said, running the sleeve of his jacket across his rather pointed nose, his voice filled with attitude. Tylira, seeming to be unfazed by both the comically small appearance and the attitude of the goblin, reached into her bag and took out a small collection of gold coins. At the sight of the small coins glinting in Tylira's hand, the goblin grinned, his demeanour instantly changing.

"I imagine your wanting a gryphon for you and the young lady?" he said, motioning to Karis with a polite wave of his hand. Tylira nodded politely in response, offering a small smile to Karis who was shuffling behind Tylira to avoid the goblin. The goblin looked at Karis, giving her a toothy, yet slightly creepy grin.

"Yes, although it will be a long journey. We need to make our way to Ashenvale" Tylira said, looking to the gryphon for a moment.

"Ashenvale?" the goblin said, his grin seeming to get wider. "Ohh, that's quite a journey you have planned there, miss. It ain't gonna come cheap, I hope you realise." Tylira let out a slight sigh as she rooted around in her bag, pulling out a couple more coins and depositing them in the goblins grubby hands.

"Thank you miss, have a nice journey!" The goblin grinned at his two customers before walking away, biting down slightly on the coins in his hand. Tylira shook her head slightly before walking over to the gryphon, reaching out and running her hand along its feathers. The gryphon stood up and stretched its wings before turning to Tylira.

"I hope you're not scared of flying" Tylira said, looking down to Karis. Karis shook her head and smiled. She was really looking forward to the flight ahead of them. With a smile of her own, Tylira carefully picked up Karis and placed her on the gryphon before climbing on herself, just behind Karis.

"Hold on tight" Tylira said to Karis, who took hold of part of the saddle she was sitting on. Tylira took hold of the reigns with one hand, wrapping her free arm around Karis to hold her steady. With a shake of the reigns, the gryphon let out a squawk before rocketing skywards. The raven on Karis' shoulder let out a squawk of its own as it struggled to retain its grip, eventually finding its way into Tylira's bag where it remained safe.

Karis, on the other hand, was crying out in joyful glee. Flying was just as fun as she had imagined it to be. The cool wind whipped around her body as the gryphon flew high above Un'goro, starting to leave it behind them as it rocketed through the air. Even though the wind stung her eyes a little, causing them to water, she kept them open the entire time.

"Tylira! Have you done this before?" she called out over the wind, turning her head slightly to look down at the edge of the crater as it passed underneath them. Tylira smiled and nodded her head slightly.

"A few times, yes" she responded, her hair trailing behind her slightly as the wind took hold of it. "I prefer to use my own bird form though." Karis blinked slightly as she looked up at Tylira.

"Bird form?" she called out, her little voice nearly getting carried away on the wind. "Why didn't you use that now then? Not big enough?" Karis hadn't known that Tylira could turn into a bird, although she supposed it made sense. She had occasionally seen other druids do it.

"Like I said" Tylira said back, leaning in closer so she didn't have to shout as much. "Female druids are frowned upon, and where we are landing, they are quite against it, so me turning up there in bird form and then changing would not go down well." Karis nodded slightly, making an "ahh" noise to show she understood what Tylira meant. She would have to have Tylira show her her bird form at some point.

Below them, Karis recognised the canyon of Thousand Needles from books she had read in school. The gryphon was easily speeding them through the air. If they had travelled on foot, the journey would have certainly taken them an age.

"It would be worth you resting for a little while" Tylira suddenly said, leaning in close again to Karis. "This journey will take us quite a while to do. It would a good idea to be fully rested when we arrive." Karis opened her mouth to complain, as she wanted to watch the world below them rush by, but instead let out a yawn in surprise. Tylira gave her a soft smile that said "I told you so" but in a rather gentle way. Karis let out a slight sigh and nodded, closing her eyes and leaning back against Tylira.

The sound of the rushing wind kept Karis awake for what seemed like an eternity, the occasional whistling noise and cold air trying its best to stop her from sleeping. Eventually, though, they let up in the battle they were destined to lose and Karis fell into a deep sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

When she opened her eyes, the first thing Karis noticed was that it was dark. The sun had finished its travel across the sky and the creatures of the night were starting to make their usual noises. With a slight yawn, as well as a shiver, Karis sat up and looked around her.

She was lying on a bed with a single cover and pillow for comfort. From what she could tell, she was in a clearing in a collection of trees. The only light source present was from a couple of lanterns that were hanging a short distance away. The stars and moon above were hidden from view by thick cloud cover. Turning her head left and right, panic started to flit its way into Karis as she noticed that Tylira was no where to be seen.

Getting up, holding onto the simple cover that offered her a little warmth, Karis stepped away from the bed, looking around the clearing some more.

"Tylira?" she called out, the only response being the chirping of bugs in the bushes and trees near by. As she moved, Karis' foot got caught on something on the ground, causing her to almost fall over. Looking down, her eyes still adjusting to the poor light, Karis managed to make out the shape of Tylira's bag.

Bending down to pick it up, she let out a slight yelp as she heard a rustling from behind her. Spinning around, looking in the direction of the lanterns, Karis waited with baited breath. The bushes rustled again, Karis now taking a step back, unsure of what to expect. All of a sudden, the bush just behind the lanterns bursts apart, a deep purple Nightsaber bounding through.

Letting out a high pitched scream, Karis fell onto her back, the Nightsaber pausing for a moment as it looked at her in the darkness. As Karis tried to scurry backwards, the Nightsaber let out a slight howl before seeming to stand up on its back legs. Karis stopped as she watched the Nightsaber change shape before taking on the form of a Night Elf.

"Karis, its ok" the figure said. With the light illuminating it from behind, all Karis could make out was the general shape of the person, but the voice she recognised. With her heart still thumping madly in her chest, she slowly stood up.

"Tylira?" she said quietly, taking a step towards the figure. There was nod and the figure held out its arm.

"Yes, Karis, it's me" she responded in her soft voice. Karis instantly relaxed, stopping just short of the outstretched arm. "I don't suppose you would mind passing me that cover? I am standing here without anything on you know…" Tylira sounded like she was laughing slightly as Karis hurriedly passed the cover to her. Wrapping the cover around herself, Tylira moved over to where Karis had been sleeping and lit another lantern.

In the extra light, Karis could now easily make out Tylira's features. She noticed that her dark green hair seemed to be soaked through, and her body glistened as if it was coated in water. Moving over to the druid, Karis asked her where she was.

"Seeing as you were asleep, I went for a quick run and swim" Tylira responded as she reached down and picked up her bag off of the floor. "It is something that I occasionally like to do. It is just a shame that the moon isn't out tonight…" Tylira glanced upwards at the thick cloud cover and let out a slight sigh as she pulled out a towel from her bag before using it to dry herself down.

Karis watched her quietly for a moment, looking away as Tylira slipped on some proper clothes that hung loosely on her body. Turning back, Tylira was now sitting down on the ground, wiggling her toes slightly as if stretching them before she started up a small fire.

"Where are we?" Karis asked finally, sitting on the edge of the bed. She didn't remember them landing at all, nor being taken to the small clearing. She must have been in a very deep sleep.

"We are in Ashenvale" Tylira said as she held out her hands to the small flames that were now building up in the fire. "A short distance from Astranaar, actually. That is where we landed." Karis nodded slightly, even though she had no idea what was in Ashenvale. She had never been there herself, and the only time it was mentioned was during her history lessons, which she never really paid attention to.

"Once the sun starts to rise" Tylira continued, folding her legs underneath her and placing her hands on her knees. "I shall take you to Raynewood Retreat, just to the north of us. You will find shelter there, and somewhere to rest. From there, you will be able to decide where you are going."

Karis went quiet as Tylira told her of their next destination. She watched the Night Elf woman quietly as she closed her eyes, seeming to go into a meditative state. Karis didn't want to be alone any more. She liked spending her time with Tylira, and that was already ending.

Letting out a miserable sigh she lay down on the bed, rolling onto her side so that her back was facing Tylira. She closed her eyes tight, wishing that morning wouldn't arrive. She remained so focused that she didn't notice her pet raven land beside her, not did she see that sad look present in Tylira's eyes as the druid looked over at the young girl.

"There is the retreat" Tylira said as she pointed towards a building over the next hill. Karis, who was walking just behind her, looked up at the building, letting out a slight sigh. Tylira looked down at the girl, trying to give her a smile but failing to do so.

She knew very well that she couldn't take the girl with her. Eventually, her parents would want to see her and she would return to them in Darnassus to live out her life how she was meant to. Tylira had no right to stand in the way of that.

For the rest of their journey, the two of them remained quiet, the only noise being from Karis' pet raven, which the young girl wasn't sure what to name. Tylira had tried offering a couple of suggestions to her, but each response was met with a stubborn silence of a child who had been denied their latest toy.

The silence held firmly in place until they were at the foot of the path that led to the tower. It was then that Karis decided to talk to Tylira.

"I want to go with you" she said, looking up at Tylira. Tylira looked down at Karis and opened her mouth to respond but stopped as Karis carried on. "I don't want to go with some strangers. I want to go with you! Maybe you can teach me to be a druid like you!"

Tylira smiled slightly, noticing that her smile also made Karis smile. Such a sweet smile… Tylira knelt down slightly, so that she was level with Karis, placing her arms on Karis' own before pulling her into a gentle hug.

"You should be back with your own family, Karis" Tylira said gently, making sure to keep her voice soft and calm. "They will come looking for you eventually, you realise."

With her head buried in Tylira's shoulder, Karis started to sob quietly, holding the older Night Elf tightly. Tylira could make out that she was saying she didn't want to leave or go back to her family, and gently rubbed Karis' back to soothe her. Standing up, she scooped the girl into her arms before walking up the path to the Retreat.

As she walked up the path, Tylira met the eyes of a couple of the sentries that stood guard. The Night Elf women looked at Tylira with slight suspicion, throwing quick glances at Karis as she sobbed in her arms. None of them, however, made any motion to stop her.

Tylira was thankful for the ease at which they let her past. She knew that there had been trouble in the area from Horde raiding parties, so everyone was on edge. She didn't want this to be any harder than it already was.

Stopping at the base of the Retreat, Tylira looked down at Karis, who lifted her own head to look up at Tylira. Her eyes were turning a darker shade of purple from the crying and Tylira struggled to keep her own emotions in check. It's the right thing to do, she reminded herself as she helped Karis onto her feet.

"You will be ok here, Karis" Tylira said to the young girl, smiling gently at her. She thought she heard Karis mumble something, along the lines of "I'd be better with you...", but chose not to query it further.

As the two of them walked towards the door, a rather bulky, heavily armoured male Night Elf blocked their path, exiting the Retreat. Tylira looked at the man, who was only slightly taller than she was. His skin was heavily darkened, as if he had been in the sun a lot. Half of one of his ears was missing, and his face and hands were covered in small scars and scratches. His hair was a pale white and slicked back behind his head before being tied into a smart knot. He looked at Tylira with a slight snarl before looking down at Karis. At the sight of the girl, his features seemed to soften slightly.

"Karis!" he said before crouching down in front of the girl. Gripping Tylira's hand tightly, Karis manoeuvred herself so that she was behind Tylira's legs. "Come now Karis, is that how you treat your Uncle?"

Tylira looked down at the man, keeping her eyes on him as he stood back up again. The man kept his eyes on Karis for a few moments before slowly moving them towards Tylira. He looked at her for a moment before giving Tylira a sneer that made her feel quite uncomfortable.

"Thank you for finding my niece" he said to her, his voice drawling slightly. "The moment she vanished from the Hold, I sent people to look for her. Thankfully, a goblin in Un'goro was able to provide us with….assistance in where the young one had gone."

Tylira nodded slightly in response before looking down to Karis with a gentle smile. She crouched down before pulling Karis into a tight embrace.

"I told you they would look for you" Tylira whispered to Karis, who hugged back just as tight as the older Night Elf.

"I don't want to go with him…please…" Karis whispered back. Tylira slowly pulled back from their hug, still smiling gently. If Karis had been looking into her eyes, she would have noticed the tiny droplets of water that were forming at the edges. Blinking to get rid of them, Tylira stood up, turning towards the man.

"Take care of her" She said before taking a step back. The man stepped forwards, placing a hand on Karis shoulder. Tylira couldn't help but notice the slight shudder from Karis at the touch. It's not my place…

Karis and Tylira looked at each other briefly, a look of pleading in the young girls eyes. Tylira mouthed the words good bye before turning around and walking back down the path.

As soon as Tylira had turned around, Karis' uncle tightened his grip on her shoulder, causing her to whimper in pain. He sneered at her, crouching down and pointing one of his fingers in her face.

Turning around, Tylira glanced back at the Retreat, seeing the man pointing at Karis. Even though she was not in ear shot, she could tell he was shouting at her, his face contorted in anger. She could also see the pain and terror on Karis' face. A flash of anger worked its way through Tylira's body and she promptly moved back up the path.

"What are you doing?" she called out, trying to keep her voice in control, trying to keep it calm. The guards all turned to look at Tylira, then at Karis' uncle as he slowly stood up and looked at the woman who had just interrupted him. His eyes were flashing with anger as he looked at Tylira.

"You stay out of this. It doesn't concern you" he said through gritted teeth. The grip he had on Karis' shoulder tightened, his fingers digging into her skin, causing the young girl to cry out in pain. All of the guards were now looking at the scene, unsure of what to do. Their duty told them to obey Karis' uncle, who was their superior, but their hearts were telling them to intervene. Many were thankful that Tylira was there.

"Let her go…"Tylira said slowly, feeling the anger rise through her again as Karis sobbed and clawed at her uncles hand, trying to break free. The man, not noticing Karis' attempt at freedom placed his free hand on the blade that was hanging at his waist.

"Make me…" he growled at her. To the shock of all present, his lifted Karis from the ground by the shoulder before flinging her backwards against the wall by the doorway of the Retreat, a loud cry of pain echoing in the area as she hit the ground. Several of the guards physically winced in pain, whilst others quickly moved to help the young girl, no longer caring about their "superior" officer.

Tylira on the other hand, reacted differently. Karis' cry of pain tore through her body and she felt her anger reach a point where she could no longer contain it, not that she now wanted to. Reaching inside herself, she grabbed hold of the anger and let it fuel her. Tapping into the rage within, she let out a deafening roar, her body rapidly shifting and warping as she dropped onto all fours, fur sprouting from her body as it grew in size, tearing her clothes to ribbons in the process.

All the guards were locked in a state of surprise as Tylira took on the form of a bear, snarling and bearing its claws as she stood on her back legs. Even Karis' uncle was frozen at the sight and made no attempt to move as Tylira's rage fuelled the large paw that swept round and collided with the side of his face, sending him flying through the air before colliding with the ground and losing consciousness.

Feeling immense happiness at the result, Tylira quickly moved over to Karis, still in her bear form. The guards quickly moved out of the way, none of them really wanting to get hurt. As soon as she was next to Karis, Tylira shifted back to her Night Elf state.

"Karis?" she whispered, gently running a hand through her hair. One of the guards slowly stepped forwards, obviously slightly nervous and not sure what to do.

"There…there appears to be some scratches and cuts on her back" the guard said quietly, shuffling her feet slightly. Tylira simply nodded before placing her hands gently on Karis and closing her eyes. A green glow started to emanate from her hands which then enveloped Karis. After a few moments, Tylira stopped and pulled her hands back slowly.

"Will she be ok?" the guard asked, crouching down on the opposite side of Karis. As if in response, Karis let out a slight groan before slowly propping herself up on her elbows. She looked at the guard, then at Tylira, whom she quickly looked away from again.

"Tylira! You're not wearing anything!" she cried out, causing a slight laugh from Tylira. Reaching out, Tylira gently pulled Karis into a hug, glad that the young girl was safe. Behind them, the other guards were quickly moving to deal with Karis' uncle.

"Please, come inside" the guard next to Tylira said, offering a hand to help her up. "You could do with some fresh clothes, I imagine."

Tylira nodded and smiled gently. It was one of the downsides that she often encountered whilst shape shifting. She always ended up with ruined clothes afterwards. She was going to have to look into that.

With the aid of the guard, Tylira stood up and walked into the Retreat, Karis once again asleep in her arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

When she awoke, the first thing Karis did was stretch her arms over her head. She instantly regretted it. Pain shot through her left shoulder, causing her to let out a cry of pain.

"Try not to move your arm too much" came the soft voice of Tylira. Opening her eyes, Karis spotted Tylira sitting at the end of the bed she was on, a cover wrapped around her. Karis looked at her shoulder, noticing the dark finger shaped bruises, as well as slight cuts that seemed even more apparent against her light purple skin.

"My uncle…" Karis whispered quietly as the memories of what had happened came flooding back to her. Tylira reached out and gently placed a hand on top of Karis', trying to reassure her.

"He isn't here now. The guards and I have sent him on his way. You don't need to worry about him anymore" Tylira said with a warm smile. A wave of relief washed over Karis as she heard the news and she relaxed slightly. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of her pet raven, perched on top of her clothes.

It took a few moments for her brain to realise what she was looking at before she let out a startled cry, pulling the covers up tight against herself. Following her gaze, Tylira caught on quick why Karis was now hiding whilst her cheeks turned a deep violet colour.

"Sorry" she said, offering an apologetic smile. "You were quite injured. I was able to deal with your initial injuries, but your shoulder was severely damaged. We did put something on you to cover you up." Tylira motioned slightly for Karis to look at herself, which she did so by putting her head under the cover.

Wrapped tight around her chest appeared to be some cloth, leaving only her shoulders, arms and stomach bare. In replacement of her trousers was a loose fitting skirt that reached down to her feet and seemed to be shimmering slightly. Carefully and cautiously, Karis pulled the covers back and stood up, wincing slightly as she put her feet down.

"You injured one of your ankles as well" Tylira said as way of explanation as Karis tried to balance herself before moving to a floor mirror. She looked at herself, feeling herself flinch at the sight of the markings on her shoulder. On the flip side, however, she found herself quite liking the look of the skirt, giving a little twirl in the mirror to admire the deep purple item, its little sequins glittering in the light.

"I know how important it is for a young woman to have her privacy" Tylira said, walking up behind Karis and placing her hand on her good shoulder. "I wasn't about to leave you without some kind of clothing. Plus, the bandages will help some of the wounds that will require time to heal."

Karis looked in the mirror and smiled at what she saw, Tylira standing behind her and smiling softly, her hand on her shoulder. Reaching up with one of her own hands, Karis took hold of Tylira's hand and squeezed it slightly. A knock on the door to their little room made Karis jump.

"Excuse me" said one of the sentinel guards as she walked into the room. "May I have a moment to speak with you?" Karis vaguely recognised the woman as the guard who had been present when she awoke just prior to waking up in the bed. That meant she was still in Raynewood Retreat.

"Of course, what is it?" Tylira said, turning to look at the other guard. Deciding it was best not to interfere, Karis walked over to her raven, petting it gently. The raven let out a squawk before moving out of the way at Karis' insistence. She wanted to put her top back on as she still felt a little exposed. Tylira certainly didn't seem to mind not having anything on, but it wasn't something Karis was used to.

Pulling the top over her head, wincing slightly in the process, Karis returned back to Tylira with her raven on her good shoulder. As she approached, she listened in to the conversation between Tylira and the guard.

"I just wanted to let you know that…." The guard said quietly and slowly, as if not sure how best to word her sentence. "That is, we, the sentinels here, we won't in form anyone that…well, that you are a druid."

Tylira offered the guard a thankful smile and nodded slightly.

"I am pleased to hear that" she said with a smile.

"We are sorry that we didn't act sooner against that coward" the guard continued, seeming to now be addressing Karis. "We were not aware of the type of person he is, but even when we were, we were conflicted about going against a superior officer. If we see him come back here, we will not tell him of where you have gone."

Tylira smiled and thanked the woman again before she left the room so that once more Karis and Tylira were alone. Karis moved over to the bed and sat down on it, her legs dangling over the edge. She looked at Tylira quietly as the older woman looked out of a window, one hand placed on her hip.

"I guess you're going to take me to Darnassus then" Karis said quietly, watching Tylira. "To take me back to my parents?" There was silence for a moment before Tylira turned around slowly and looked at Karis.

"Do you want me to take you back?" Tylira asked quietly, returning Karis' gaze. Karis opened her mouth to respond but stopped for a moment, thinking about what she was going to say. After all, wouldn't Tylira just turn around and tell her she couldn't stay with her?

"After seeing you're…uncle…" Tylira suddenly said, a hint of anger present in her voice, "I do not think that your family would be best for you. They surely knew the kind of man your uncle was, yet still they sent you to him…no child should have to go through that."

Karis didn't say anything for a few moments, as she ran what Tylira had just said through her head over and over. She slowly slid herself off the bed, trying to be careful on her bad foot, before moving closer to the druid.

"Does that mean I can go with you?" Karis asked quietly, trying not to get her hopes up to much. She would much rather go with Tylira over any other course of action, especially one that involved going back to her own parents.

"If you still want to, then yes, I would like it if you came with me" Tylira said slowly and quietly. The moment Tylira had finished her sentence, Karis came bounding over and wrapped her arms tight around Tylira's waist. Her shoulder was complaining immensely from the pain but she didn't care, she was so happy! Even her raven let out a squawk of joy at the sight.

"Oh, thank you thank you thank you!" Karis said, over and over as she held tightly onto Tylira. Tylira smiled and lifted Karis up into her arms, holding her gently.

"Once you are more recovered, we will move on" Tylira said, taking Karis over to her bed and laying the now excited girl upon it. "I know a place that you would just love to see, especially if you meant it about becoming a druid." Karis was now practically bouncing on the spot as Tylira sat down beside her.

"Yes, I would love to become a druid!" Karis said, resting against Tylira who put her arm around the young girl. "Where will you take me?"

"There is a place to the north of here, a place where many a druid goes" Tylira said quietly, looking out of the window at the sun started to descend on the day. "A place called Moonglade. That is where I will take you, and if you want to, train you to be a druid."

Karis nodded her head and smiled a great, beaming smile. She couldn't wait! Not only was she going to be with Tylira, but she would get to learn to be a druid as well! She hoped that her wounds would help up quickly so that they could get going as soon as possible! With those thoughts in mind, Karis felt her eyelids getting heavy before she fell into a blissful sleep.

It had only taken a few days for Karis' wounds to fully heal, which the young girl was overjoyed about. Regular healing seasons with Tylira had greatly sped up a process that should have apparently taken a lot longer. And the guards at the Retreat had been very friendly towards her. It was with a slight sadness that Karis was packing to leave.

"Do you think we will come back here?" she asked as she rolled her trousers up before putting them into a new bag that had been provided by one of the guards. She had grown quite attached to the skirt that Tylira had provided for her, and would wear it at every opportunity, such as at that moment.

"If you would like to, then I do not see why not" Tylira said with a smile from her position by the window. Karis looked over to her and smiled. Although she was sad to be leaving the Retreat, she was still very excited about going to Moonglade.

Slinging the bag over her shoulder, that now held a small collection of clothes and some food, Karis walked over to Tylira to join her and her pet raven. As she walked across the hard wood floor, she tried not to put to much pressure on her still slightly aching foot.

"How long will it take to get to Moonglade?" Karis asked, putting her bag down on the floor and looking up to Tylira. Tylira pushed off the wall with her hands and stretched her arms over her head for a moment before letting them drop to her sides once more.

"Normally, I would be able to get there instantly, but we can't use that method, so we shall be flying" Tylira said, turning to look out of the window. In the distance, the town of Astranaar was just about visible. "By flying, it should take a couple of hours, weather depending."

Karis nodded slightly, standing on tiptoes to look out of the window, wincing as she did so, a mixture of cramp and pain shooting through her foot.

"So we are going back to Astranaar first then?" Karis asked, giving up on trying to get a good view out of the window. "To get a gryphon and the such?"

Tylira paused for a moment and looked down at Karis before shaking her head slightly with a smile. She crouched down and gently ran her fingers across Karis' cheek, causing the young girl to smile.

"No, not by gryphon this time" Tylira said, expertly balancing on the balls of her feet as she remained crouched down in front of Karis.

Karis looked at Tylira with a slightly confused expression. If not by gryphon, then how? She wondered to herself. Tylira noticed the confused expression and let out a slight chuckle.

"You are going to fly on me" she said before standing upright. Karis remained quiet for a moment as her brain worked out what Tylira meant. When she figured it out, her eyes went wide.

She had yet to be shown Tylira's bird form, something that she had wanted to see since Tylira had first mentioned it. And now, not only was she going to be able to see it, she was going to be flying on it! She was now even more excited by the prospect.

"Wait…" Karis suddenly said as her more rational brain kicked in. "What if people see you? Won't they try to arrest you or something?" Karis didn't actually know what would happen if a female druid was spotted. It wasn't exactly something that happened often.

"The people in Moonglade know that I am a druid" Tylira said calmly, smiling softly as she did so. "It is where I was trained as a druid. Or at least part trained. To them, it matters not if you are male or female. If the spirits think you are worthy enough to take on their form, then that is all that matters."

Karis let out a slight noise of agreement, nodding her head at the same time. The view of the people in Moonglade made sense to her. What did it matter if people were male or female? Surely anyone could be a druid if they were skilled enough to?

"Come, let us go and say our farewells to the guards" Tylira said, holding out a hand to Karis. Karis smiled and gladly took the offered hand, giving it a light squeeze as she did. She looked at their two hands for a moment, giggling slightly at the size difference between the two of them.

Before they left the small room, Karis motioned for her raven to follow, who gladly did so with a squawk before landing on Karis' exposed shoulder. The marks that her uncle had left her were still present, even with all the healing that Tylira had done to try and remove them.

Even though they made the young night elf shudder every time she saw them, she was slowly getting used to having them there. There was little she could do to get rid of them now, so she may as well get used to them whilst she waited for them to fade.

Outside the retreat, most of the guards were on duty. They had kept to their word and not told anyone about Tylira being a druid. Not even the people inside the Retreat knew, save for the other guards. All they knew was that Tylira and Karis were travellers who got into a fight and needed somewhere to stay. It was a miracle that no one had dared look out of their window when Karis' uncle was present.

Upon seeing Karis and Tylira approach, the guards all moved over to them, smiles on each of their faces. All of them wished the two of them well and hoped that they would have a safe journey, not that there was any reason to doubt that they would.

Karis had noticed how all of them had been impressed with Tylira's formidable druidic powers, and some even seemed to be slightly jealous of it.

With the farewells and goodbyes done, the two of them walked away from the Retreat, heading down the hill. Karis tried her best not to jump around in excitement.

"When are we going to fly?" she asked Tylira, looking up at the older night elf. Tylira looked down and smiled gently at her as she led her down towards the clearing they had been in a few days ago.

"I just need to find us some cover" she responded, leading Karis through the trees into the clearing. "We don't want to get spotted just yet."

Karis nodded and watched Tylira with a smile as the druid moved into the middle of the clearing. Taking a few steps away from Karis, and with her back towards the girl, Tylira removed her clothes and left them on a pile.

Karis knew what was coming next. She watched with amazement as Tylira crouched down and rapidly changed into the form of a majestic looking raven, stretching out her wings either side of her, feathers seeming to glow slightly as the light reflected off of them.

It was really happening. Karis couldn't believe it. In a few hours, she would be in Moonglade with Tylira, the woman who was starting to become like a mother to her. Her old life was over, and her new life was about to begin.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"This is amazing!" Karis yelled out as she gripped on to Tylira tightly. Leaning to the side slightly, the young girl looked down at the ground below her as it flew past in a blur, her hair flying wildly in the wind.

From the moment that Tylira had launched the two of them skywards, Karis had felt exhilarated. The two of them had hurtled upwards through the clouds, greeted by the sun as it hung in the sky, making its daily trek across the heavens. Even with the wind working its best to put a chill through her, Karis felt the warmth of the sun.

Her pet raven, on the other hand, hadn't been enjoying the trip as much as Karis was. From nearly the instant that they took off, the raven had hidden in the bag that Karis was carrying, and hadn't come out since. Even when Tylira brought them back down through the clouds again as it got darker, the raven remained hidden.

Almost as much as the flight, Karis was enjoying the view around her. Everything just looked amazing to her, from the trees, to the lakes, to the hills and mountains. Everything was just simply beautiful. But none of it prepared her for the wonder that she saw as she came into Moonglade.

Flying over the top of a large hill, Tylira dipped suddenly, passing through what looked to be a layer of dense fog. Karis closed her eyes as she felt the moisture stick to her, leaving a slight coating behind on her as Tylira flew out of the fog. When she opened her eyes, she let out a gasp.

Spread out before here was a luscious piece of land that looked to be full of life. Everywhere that Karis looked, there were all sorts of shades of green. Even the various remains of a past civilisation were coated in a thin layer of green moss. Aside from the ruins, the land looked to be completely untouched by war or any kind of fighting.

As they flew through the glade, they passed over a large lake resting in the middle of the veritable paradise. Its water shimmered gently in the low light, reflecting some of the trees on its surface at the edges. The water was so clear that Karis could make out the fish that were swimming under its surface, as well as some Night Elves that were also swimming there.

Looking back up from the lake, Karis looked around at the rest of the area, noticing all of the trees that were dotted around, the wild animals that happily ran around. Walking along the pathways that looked to be made from stone found in the local area were what looked to be guards.

Looking forwards, Karis saw the location they were headed towards. Set upon the top of a hill was a large collection of huts, houses and buildings, all of them obviously Night Elf in design. Walkways linked the buildings in various locations, and people were going about their business on them, from some people setting up small stalls, to others just offering advice.

As Tylira and Karis flew over them, the people glanced upwards, some even waving. Karis waved by, feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason by the entire thing. Banking to the right slightly, Tylira brought them down to the ground, landing delicately behind some bushes.

Karis jumped down off of Tylira's back and stretched slightly, wincing a little from how stiff her bones had become due to the long flight. Turning to look at Tylira, Karis removed the bag and held it out to her. Tylira took the bag in her beak and Karis turned so her back was towards her.

After a few moments, Karis felt a hand on her shoulder, causing her to turn and look up into the smiling face of Tylira who was once again wearing a light weight, loose fitting outfit that swayed gently in the calm breeze, as did her hair.

"Shall we?" she said in that soft voice that made Karis feel so very happy. Karis nodded and took hold of Tylira's hand. Giving the young girls hand a gentle squeeze, Tylira led her out from behind the bushes and towards the settlement.

As they approached, a male Night Elf started to walk towards them. Karis looked at the man with slight suspicion as he came closer. He was certainly tall, even by Night Elf standards, and his hair was long and tied neatly into two plaits. Even in the low light, Karis could tell his hair was white in colour.

He was wearing what looked to Karis to be some kind of leather armour, with a staff strapped in place on his back. Eventually, he stopped just in front of them, looking at Tylira for a moment, his face showing no emotion. Eventually, he smiled, reaching out and placing his hands on the sides of Tylira's arms.

"Tylira, it is good to see you again!" he said. His voice sounded unnaturally deep to Karis, causing her to almost shiver in response.

"Loganaar, it is good to see you too" Tylira responded, smiling at the man. "It has certainly been a while, hasn't it?" Loganaar nodded in response, letting his arms drop to his side.

"Indeed it has" he said again, his voice just as deep as before. He looked down at Karis, who shied away, trying to hide behind Tylira. "And who is this?" he asked, his voice sounding much more gentle.

"This is Karis" Tylira said, motioning for the young Night Elf to move forwards. Reluctantly, she moved out from behind Tylira and waved slightly, looking down at the ground. Once again, she was feeling embarrassed and also felt as if she was being judged.

"I met her in Un'goro crater and have since taken her into my care" she carried on, crouching down beside Karis and gently stroking her cheek. "Karis, this is Loganaar. He is one of the people who taught me to be a druid."

Upon hearing Loganaar's connection with Tylira's past, she felt some of the weight that was on her lift, enough that she could now look at the man. She gave him a sheepish smile as Tylira stood back up again.

"Un'goro, hmm?" Loganaar said, scratching his chin slightly as he looked at Karis. "That's a mighty dangerous place to be, especially for such a young child. How on Azeroth did you come to be there?"

"W…well…" Karis said quietly, not entirely sure how to answer the question. With a slight shrug and an inward sigh, she answered as best as could. "I walked there from Silithus, trying to get away from my uncle." At the mention of her uncle, Karis' hand drifted up towards her marked shoulder.

Loganaar nodded slightly, as if in understanding, but asked no further questions. Instead, he motioned for the two female Night Elves to walk beside him back into the settlement.

"Well, Karis, let me be the first to welcome you to Nighthaven" he said, giving her a smile before looking to Tylira. "Will you be here long? I can take you to a nice room with a view, or is this a passing trip via the inn?"

"That depends" Tylira said quietly, looking down at Karis who was now looking around at all of the buildings as they walked through Nighthaven. "First, we need to talk to Remulos. There is something that I need to ask him."

"Remulos?" Loganaar said, looking to Tylira with a raised eyebrow. "Why would you need to talk with the Keeper?"

Karis kept quiet as the two of them were talking, remaining close to Tylira as they made their way through Nighthaven. All around them, the various inhabitants were giving polite nods to the two older elves, but also offering Karis a welcome smile.

Karis had to admit to herself as she smiled slightly, this place was certainly a lot more inviting to be in than the Cenarion Hold had been. And the view was certainly much better.  
"I have an important question to ask of him" Karis heard Tylira say as she came back into the conversation. She wondered what question she would be asking this Remulos, and from the look on his face, so did Loganaar.

"Well, whatever it is, I hope you get the answer you are looking for" he said to Tylira with a warm smile. "I trust you still know the way to find him?" Tylira responded with a nod and a smile of her own as they came to a stop next to one of the entrances to the town.

"Of course, it hasn't been that long, Loganaar" Tylira said, letting out a faint laugh. The male Night Elf let out a chuckle of his own before giving Tylira a friendly hug, which she returned.

"Come find me when you are done, and I shall arrange a place for you and the young one to rest for the night" he said before looking to Karis. "And you take care as well, Karis."

Karis smiled and nodded, watching as the man walked away, leaving Karis and Tylira alone. Karis looked up at Tylira, remaining quiet for a moment.

"He seems nice" she finally said, looking back to where Loganaar was just turning around a corner, vanishing from sight. Tylira nodded slightly in agreement before turning and leading Karis out of Nighthaven.

"Indeed he is. He is also a brilliant teacher of all things druid" she said as the two of them walked down a hill onto the path they had seen when flying over head. "If your training goes through, some of it will be done by Loganaar, if he accepts you as a student."

Karis went quiet for a moment as Tylira mentioned her training to be a druid. The more things went on, the more real it seemed to be that she could become a druid, just like Tylira.

They both remained mostly silent as they walked along the path, only speaking up a couple of times as Tylira pointed out various things to her along the path, usually in the form of various little creatures. The more Karis saw of Moonglade, the more she came to like it. She felt like she was finally in a place where she belonged.

After nearly half an hour of walking, Tylira brought them to a stop at a fork in the road. She looked along one of the directions the path now took before looking back to Karis.

"Karis, I need to ask you something very important" she said, crouching down in front of the girl. Karis looked at Tylira, slight worry forming in her mind. She wasn't sure what Tylira was going to ask her, but she was certainly feeling a bit worried.

"What are you going to ask?" she asked quietly, the worry showing itself in her voice. Tylira offered a warm smile to Karis and placed a hand on her good shoulder, squeezing it gently.

"I need to make sure you understand what it will mean for you to become a druid, if Remulos allows it" she said, looking straight into the young girls eyes.

Remulos… Karis thought to herself. She had wondered what it was that Tylira wanted to ask him, and going by what Tylira had just said, it sounded like he was the one who was going to give permission or not for her to become a druid.

"As you know, in the Night Elf society, your choice to become a female druid will be frowned upon, and some people will out right attempt to attack and subdue you. This is one of the risks that you face with joining and becoming one of us." Tylira paused a moment, watching Karis who remained silent as she processed the information, simply nodding slightly.

"If you become a druid, you will be trained here, not just by myself, but by others as well. You will be trained to join the Cenarion Circle as well, to uphold our values." Tylira said slowly, trying not to rush Karis with an overflow of information.

"That will mean that any prejudice that you may have towards the Horde, you need to leave behind. We are neutral towards both the Horde and the Alliance. We serve neither, but will offer aid to both, if it is required." Karis found herself slightly taken aback as she was told not to hate the Horde, something that for all intents and purposes she had been raised to do. If she had to break that trend, it was not going to be an easy thing for her to do.

"And lastly, you will be taught to love all nature. You will be taught to revere it, to cherish it in all its forms. Although we druids are capable fighters, as part of the Circle, we try to abstain from violence where possible." Tylira stopped talking and nodded slightly, as if to signify she was finished.

Karis remained silent as what Tylira had just told her rolled around in her head. Even though Tylira had obviously tried to make things as simple for her as she could, there was still a lot of information to go through. After a few minutes, Karis finally nodded.

"I still want to do this" she said slowly, looking at Tylira with a small smile. "I can learn, I know I can. I may find it hard…but I can stay strong." Tylira remained stone faced for a moment before smiling and pulling Karis into a gentle embrace.

"Good, then let us follow this path" she said, standing up and holding out her hand to Karis. Taking the hand, Karis smiled. She knew she was going to find the transition hard, that she was going to have issues along the way, but she knew that with Tylira to guide her, she could do it!

It was with this in mind that she walked beside Tylira up the path, towards what looked to be a shrine. As they approached, a small gathering of druids separated, allowing them through, most offering polite bows and nods as they did.

Walking past them, Karis and Tylira came to a stop. There was silence all around them for a few moments, and Karis looked up at Tylira who had her eyes closed, a smile playing on her lips. Suddenly, the silence was broken by the sound of hooves coming down on the path behind them.

Karis resisted the urge to look around, but soon found she didn't have to. A large creature moved past Tylira, walking past her before standing before the two Night Elves.

Karis could only stare in wonder at the creature before her. He looked to be a cross between a Night Elf and a horse; the torso, head and arms were definitely Night Elf, and the four legs couldn't be anything other than some kind of horse, with large prominent horns protruding from his head.

Tylira crouched down so that she was on knee, to which Karis quickly followed suit. Although she tried not to, Karis looked up at the creature as it regarded the two of them, remaining still for a moment.

Remulos… Karis thought to herself again, her heart hammering in her chest. All her confidence from before had washed away, leaving behind a fear. Was she good enough? Would he let her train? Closing her eyes, she looked down at the ground, waiting for him to cast his judgement.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

For what felt like an eternity, Karis waited for Remulos to say something, anything. Everything around them sounded so quiet, so still, as if they too were waiting on him to speak. The silence only helped Karis realise how much her heart was beating. She was so focused on her heart beat, that when Tylira spoke, it nearly made her jump out of her skin.

"Greetings, Keeper Remulos" she said, her voice sounding soft, but at the same time respectful. Turning her head slightly, Karis watched Tylira stand upright, smiling gently.

"Greetings, Sister Tylira" Remulos responded. His voice, Karis noted, seemed to have an almost whimsical nature to it, as if he was singing instead of speaking. As soon as he had spoken, everything around them seemed to return to its usual duties.

"It has been a long time since I have seen you amongst these trees" he continued, taking a few steps towards Tylira so that he was able to reach out and place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I remember the times when you couldn't bare to be apart from these woods. I trust your journeys have been kind to you?"

"Yes, they certainly have" Tylira said with a nod and a smile, placing her hand on top of Remulos' gently, looking down at the ground as she did. They way that Tylira was regarding Remulos was a way that Karis had seen herself before. It was how the children she had grew up with acted around their fathers after spending the day away from them.

But he certainly isn't her dad… Karis thought to herself as she looked at the two of them, still down on her knees herself. As if only now just realising Karis' presence, Remulos looked to her, turning his head slowly in one fluid motion.

"And who are you, my child?" he asked her, motioning for her to stand up and talk to him. "You are one who certainly hasn't been in Moonglade before." Karis threw a nervous look to Tylira, wondering what she should do, who simply nodded with a warm smile.

"My name is Karis…" she responded, her voice quiet and muffled as she looked down at the ground. Remulos reached out and gently placed his fingers under Karis' chin, lifting her head up slightly so he could look at her.

"You have travelled far, for someone so young, Karis" he said slowly, a faint smile playing on his lips as he studied the young girl. "I have heard of your travels in Silithus and of what happened in Raynewood Retreat."

Karis took a step back, somewhat shocked and surprised at Remulos' comment. How would he have known about what had happened? Especially at the Retreat. The guards hadn't told anyone, and no one else there knew anything. As if sensing the confusion in her mind, Remulos let out a slight chuckle. To the side, Karis noted that Tylira was also slightly surprised by what was happening, but she also had a slight smile on her lips.

"Worry not, young Karis" Remulos said, walking closer and placing a gentle hand upon Karis' good shoulder. "The guards did not give you away, and you were not seen by any individual." With his free hand, Remulos waved out towards the trees.

"They are the ones that told me of what had happened. Although they could not give me the exact details, the trees always have been good at telling stories to one and other, and those that will listen."

Karis shook her head slightly as she tried to understand what she had just been told. She finally decided to just go with that Remulos could talk to the trees.

"So you know why I'm here?" Karis asked timidly, looking over to Tylira who now made her way to stand beside the young girl.

"As I said, they could not give me the exact details" Remulos repeated, shaking his head slightly before looking to Tylira. "Although, I imagine that Tylira would be able to tell me the reason." Tylira simply nodded and smiled in response, gently stroking Karis' back for reassurance.

"I have a question to ask of you, Remulos" she said, once again her voice sounding full of respect but also seriousness. Remulos himself slowly removed his hand from Karis' shoulder and nodded slightly as if to say go on.

"I would like your permission…no, your blessing to induct Karis into the Circle, and to train her as a Druid" Tylira said before bowing slightly, holding the position as she waited for a response.

Once again, the silence seemed to descend upon the area around them as Remulos regarded the two Night Elves in front of him. Karis waited quietly, trying not to look at Remulos, instead focusing intently on a leaf that had managed to get caught in a gentle breeze.

"She is very young" Remulos said slowly. "A lot younger than those that usually start their training."

"I know" Tylira said, looking back up at Remulos. "But I believe she is more than capable of doing this. How many twelve year olds do you know that would run into the heart of Silithus by themselves? Or into the crater of Un'goro without a second thought?"  
Karis felt her cheeks darken as her past exploits were used as a way of defending her. She stole a quick glance at Tylira and Remulos, both of whom were staring at each other.

"Just because someone has a brave heart, does not mean they can tackle anything" Remulos responded, his voice remaining its usual soft self.

"She knows what will be asked of her, she knows what will be expected, and yet she still wants to try" Tylira said, looking over to Karis who quickly looked away, not wanting to get drawn into the discussion for fear of saying the wrong thing.

"Remulos…" Tylira said, her voice sounding impossible calm and soft as she reached out and placed a hand on Remulos' arm. "All I ask is that you let her try. You know the spirits better than most. You know they don't look at a person's outside when they decide if they want to allow them in, so why should we? Let her try, and if they are the ones to say no, then who are we to argue."

Remulos remained silent as he looked at Tylira before shaking his head slightly, letting out a sigh.

"You always have been good at arguing your point" he said, letting out a faint chuckle before looking to Karis. "Tell me, young one, do you understand how difficult this could be for you? There would be many challenges you would have to face. The spirits are not always kind masters."

Karis nodded slightly in response as she looked at Remulos. She had never actually asked Tylira what would be part of her training, but she knew it wouldn't be easy, she didn't expect it to be. But that wasn't going to stop her from trying.

"Very well then. Tylira, I give you my blessing to train Karis to become a druid" Remulos said, raising himself to his full height as he spoke, striking an impressive pose. Karis felt her heart skip a beat as Tylira smiled and nodded.

"But, she cannot join the Circle until she has attained her first form" Remulos continued. "If she can achieve this, then I shall induct her personally as proof of the achievement for someone as young as Karis."

"I understand" Tylira said with a polite bow, a smile still on her lips. Karis herself didn't understand why she had to have learnt her first form. She knew that others had joined in the past who were Druids, so why was she being singled out? She went to ask, but thought it best to wait until her and Tylira were alone.

"Go and speak with Loganaar. He can arrange some accommodations for you. Plus, I am sure he would be happy to see you again, if he hasn't already" Without leaving them time to respond, Remulos turned and walked away from them, leaving the two of them alone.

Taking hold of Karis' hand, Tylira led them both down the path, away from the small location and back onto the main path that led back up to Nighthaven.

"Why do I need to wait?" Karis asked once the two of them were far away. She hoped that she didn't sound ungrateful by asking. Karis was the exact opposite. She was overjoyed that she was allowed to be trained as a druid!

"Normally, it is only those who are above a certain age that can ask to join the Circle, unless they are a Druid." Tylira said in response, looking down at Karis with a small smile. "It doesn't mean they will automatically get in, though. In some cases, people who have achieved something special are permitted to join."

"So, if I achieve a form, I get in?" Karis asked, looking to the side to see a cat like creature stretching its paws out in front of it as it yawned.

"Yes, because achieving something like that at such a young age, it isn't common practice" Tylira said, also looking over to the creature, bowing her head slightly as she did.

For the rest of their trip back, Karis remained silent, the excitement inside her bubbling away in anticipation for what lie ahead of her.

As they walked up the hill to the entrance of Nighthaven, Loganaar was waiting for them, a basket in one of his hands. He smiled at them as they came close, offering a gentle wave.

"I saw you approaching, so I thought I would come and provide you with something to eat and drink" he said, reaching into the basket and pulling out some bread with what looked to be cheese in it.

Karis looked at the bread and felt her stomach growl at her, asking for food. She hadn't realised that it had actually been a little while since she had eaten, so she quite happily took the bread and munched away at it.

"Did Remulos give you the answer you wanted?" Loganaar asked Tylira as she took a small bite from the bread, followed by a sip of water as they walked through Nighthaven.

"Yes, he did. He has agreed to let me train Karis to be a Druid." Loganaar chocked slightly on the bread he was chewing and coughed before looking to Tylira who was trying not to laugh.

"Well, I guess that means you need a more permanent place to stay?" he said as he gulped down on some water, trying to help soothe his throat and deal with the food that had clogged it.

Tylira smiled and nodded as she took another bite from her bread, motioning for Loganaar to lead on. It didn't take him long to find them a place to call their own that was set up on the top floor of one of the buildings.

Like the rest of the buildings that surrounded it, it only had two walls that faced the buildings either side of it. Thanks to the moderate climate that was very much permanent in Moonglade, they were able to get away with not having to worry about the elements.

There were two beds in the room, separated by a simple screen that could be pulled back if needed. A table was set in the middle of the room with some small cushions dotted around it, along with a small wash basin and a couple of cupboards.

"I shall leave you to get yourself sorted" Loganaar said with a smile before bowing and walking away, heading down the ramp that connected their room to one of the walkways outside and below them.

Tylira sat down on one of the beds, opening her bag and letting Karis' pet raven out who let out a sleepy squawk before flying to the table and settling down again.  
"So, when do we start!" Karis asked, standing in front of Tylira, trying her best not to bounce on the spot. Tylira let out a slight laugh and shook her head.

"Not yet. We need to relax and rest first, and then tomorrow, we will begin, if that's what you would like?" Tylira said, brushing some of her hair from her face.

Karis let out a slight "aww" but nodded. Tomorrow would be the best option for them. They would be well rested and have all their energy.

Leaving Tylira to unpack her things from her bag, Karis jumped onto her bed, laying on her back and stared at the roof. She giggled happily to herself as a large grin made its way across her face. It was going to happen! She was so excited, so much so that she could barely contain it! Tomorrow was going to be the best day of her life!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I don't want to!"

"Karis, if you want to learn to be a druid, you need to"

"Can I at least wear my skirt?"

"For now, yes, but once we are in the clearing you will need to take it off if you don't want it ruined."

From behind the screen in their shared room, Karis let out a cheer and hurriedly pulled her skirt up before emerging. Tylira had set out her clothes for her, and Karis had instantly taken a disliking to them.

She couldn't really call them clothes, either. They were simply pieces of cloth that only covered up what needed to be covered! Tylira had explained to her that it was best to wear something like that for training, as clothes tended to get destroyed a lot.

Standing in front of the mirror, Karis smiled slightly to herself. She was wearing the pieces of cloth, one wrapped around her chest and one around her waist, but she also had her skirt on now to give at least a little more privacy to herself.

Tylira walked up behind her, also wearing the pieces of cloth. Stifling a yawn, Karis turned and looked to the older Night Elf, rubbing her eyes slightly. They had gotten up early, so early in fact that the early morning mist was still moving through Nighthaven.

After giving Karis a quick hug, Tylira took a large piece of fine silk cloth from her bag and wrapped it around her own waist so that it acted much like a skirt. Karis smiled slightly and moved next to Tylira.

"Lets get you something to eat first, shall we?" Tylira said, taking Karis' hand gently in hers. Karis nodded in agreement as Tylira led her down the stairs on to the walkway, where the other people in the town were already starting to get up and set up shops.

After pausing to talk to a few people along the way, eventually Tylira came to a stop outside one of the inns in the town. Looking down to Karis with a smile, she led the young girl in.

"Good morning, My'lanna" Tylira said to a Night Elf woman standing behind a counter. The woman turned to look at Tylira and Karis as they sat down at the wooden counter.

"Good morning, Tylira" My'lanna responded with a smile. "You're both up early today. We don't normally get customers for some time."  
Tylira let out a slight chuckle before ordering some food for both Karis and herself. Karis quite happily ate the food as Tylira and My'lanna continued to chat to each other, as if catching up on lost time. As soon as Karis was finished, Tylira rose from her chair and removed a small pouch that was hanging from her waist.

"Until tomorrow then" Tylira said with a warm smile, placing a few silver coins on the counter. With a nod and smile, My'lanna scooped up the coins and went back to her work, leaving Tylira and Karis alone.

"If there is anything else you want to do before we start, I recommend you do it now" Tylira said to Karis, placing the pouch back in its place on her waist.

"I don't think so…" Karis said, shaking her head slightly as she tried to think of anything else. After a few moments of thinking, she shook her head again and smiled. "Nope, nothing else!"

Tylira nodded and smiled, her hair swaying slightly as a gentle breeze blew past them. Happy that nothing else was needed, the two of them walked out of Nighthaven, Karis feeling the anticipation build up inside of her.

After walking down the path for a short distance, Tylira led Karis off of the path and onto the slightly damp grass. As they walked across the moist surface, Karis couldn't help but giggle as the blades of grass tickled her bare feet.

"This looks like a good spot" Tylira eventually said, coming to a stop at a location that looked no different to any other place in Moonglade.

Looking around, all Karis saw was either grass, trees or bushes. There was nothing remarkable about where they were at all. Tylira unwrapped the cloth around her waist that was acting as her skirt and placed it on the ground before sitting on it.

"Come, sit" Tylira said, motioning for Karis to sit opposite her. "And you may want to take off your skirt" she quickly added, smiling gently. With a grumble, Karis removed her skirt, placing it down on the cloth so as to not get it wet, before sitting down opposite Tylira.

"It's cold…" Karis said, shivering slightly in the cold morning air. Even with the cold, though, Karis was still feeling surprisingly good. The air was so fresh, filled with such interesting smells, and the gentle light that made its way through the trees gave everything a beautiful shine to it.

"Don't worry, the cold will pass" Tylira said, crossing her legs and placing her hands on her knees. Karis watched as Tylira closed her eyes and started to breathe in and out slowly, a gentle mist seeming to travel across their small camp, wrapping around them both as it did so.

Karis didn't dare say anything as the silence grew between them, the only noise present coming from the wildlife around them as it woke up. After what felt like an eternity, Tylira slowly opened her eyes again and looked at Karis.

"The first form a druid learns is what is commonly known as a travel form" she said, her voice soft and slow, but very official sounding.

"The travel form is what we use when we need to get around quickly on foot. There is no one travel form. Each druid can end up with a different form, ranging from a cheetah, to a stag to a kodo." Tylira paused for a moment, inhaling slowly before exhaling again.

"In order to obtain your first form, you must first learn to commune with the spirits." Reaching out, Tylira waved her hand through the thick mist that now gathered around them. As she did so, forms and shapes started to appear.

Karis tried to make sense of them, noticing what looked to be a bear, whilst another looked like a cat and another a raven. With another wave of Tylira's hand, the shapes vanished.

"You must remember, though" Tylira continued, focusing her gaze on Karis. "The spirits must be treated with the utmost respect. If you disrespect them, they will not help you. And you will need their help."

"Why?" Karis found herself asking before apologising for interrupting. Tylira smiled and shook her head slightly.

"No, do not worry about interrupting. It is good to ask questions" Tylira said, still smiling. "What you need to understand is that once the spirits are willing to grant you use of their form, the actual learning to change is a simple process. Trying to earn the respect and aid of the spirits, however, is the hard part of your training."

Karis nodded slightly, feeling her shoulders sag. She didn't know anything about talking with spirits, much less how to earn their respect. She found herself rather thankful that she had Tylira teaching her.

"A druid starts with learning their travel form because of the fact the spirits linked with such forms are those who are more willing to aid us." Tylira ran her hand through the mist again, once more various images appearing, showing various animals, all running.

"Most often, a spirit will ask a boon of you, a favour" Tylira said, pausing for a moment as the mist settled around them. "There is little a spirit can do in our world, unless called upon. They rely on others to help them with their tasks. That is part of what a druid does, and that is how you earn their respect."

Tylira went quiet for a moment, looking at Karis as the young girl soaked up all that was told to her. Her brow furrowed slightly, as if she was struggling to grasp something before she spoke again.

"What will they ask me to do?" Karis asked, a slight look of worry on her face. "And would I have to do it alone?" More worry appeared on the young girls face as her mind raced with what they might ask her to do.

Noting Karis worried look, Tylira smiled gently and reached out, placing a hand on the young Night Elf's knee.

"Do not worry. Although some may ask quite the task of you, most will not" she said, still smiling gently. "And as this is your first form, the spirits are quite understanding and will allow you aid if you need it."

"But that doesn't answer what they will ask…" Karis said with a slight whimper, looking down at the ground.

"That depends entirely on the spirit at the time" Tylira said, returning to her prior sitting position, breathing in and out slowly. "Sometimes they will ask you to deal with a corrupted element of the species they represent. Other times they may simply ask you to clear some weeds from the place where their avatar died." There was a pause for a moment, as if Tylira was thinking upon something, before she continued.

"You won't know what it is until you ask the spirit" she said, her voice sounding slightly quieter than it had been. "I am afraid it is something that you cannot prepare for."

Tylira easily saw the sad look that now made its way across Karis' face. Getting up, she moved so that she now sat next to the young girl and placed her arm around her, holding her close.

"Karis, no matter what happens, no matter what they throw at you, I will be here to help you, ok?" Tylira said with a gentle smile. Karis looked up at Tylira before putting her arms around the woman, cuddling up close to her.

"I'm scared…" Karis whispered, closing her eyes tight as she stayed close to Tylira. "I want to learn to be a druid, I really do…but I'm worried about doing something wrong…or failing…"

Tylira smiled and lightly stroked Karis' back. She gently rocked her from side to side, soothing her as best she could.

"You will be amazing, just you wait and see" Tylira whispered, looking down at Karis. Karis slowly looked up at Tylira and smiled weakly. "Now come on, let's get you started, hmm?"

Karis nodded, slowly letting go of Tylira who moved back to her position opposite Karis. Tylira crossed her legs again and motioned for Karis to do the same. Once both were in the same position, Tylira continued on.

"To start with" she said, closing her eyes. "You need to regulate your breathing and clear your mind. Simply breathe in and out through your nose with long, deep breaths. Focus on your breathing and nothing else…"

Karis did as she was told, closing her eyes and breathing in through her nose before letting it out slowly. She continued to do this for a few minutes, focusing solely on her breathing. As she did so, she soon became aware of the quietness that had wrapped itself around her. When Tylira next spoke, it was as if her voice was echoing all around her.

"I want you to imagine yourself" she said quietly. "Don't stop how your breathing, and don't open your eyes. Just imagine yourself standing there…."

Once again, Karis complied with Tylira's request, picturing herself standing in the darkness that was currently her field of vision. In front of her, or so it looked, a blurry image of herself appeared. Karis frowned slightly as she focused on it more, trying to make the image clearer. The more she concentrated, the clearer the image became. Just a little more, and it will be perfect…

"Karis, its time we returned to the town" Tylira suddenly said, bringing Karis back from her attempts. She opened her eyes and looked around, blinking.

"But we have only just started!" Karis complained, not wanting to leave already. Tylira looked at her and simply smiled, shaking her head.

"Karis, it's the middle of the afternoon. We have been out here for quite a few hours" she said, holding out Karis' skirt to her.

"Middle of the afternoon?" Karis said in disbelief as she took the skirt from Tylira.

"Yes" she said with a smile, waiting for Karis to move off of the cloth before picking it up and wrapping it around herself. "It is surprising how much time passes when you try to picture yourself, isn't it?" Tylira let out a slight laugh and stretched out her arms.

"This is your first hurdle, Karis" she continued, looking at Karis as she put her skirt back on. "Once you are able to quickly picture yourself, fully and clearly, then we can move on to the next step. We will do this every day in the morning, and I promise you, it will get easier."

Karis looked at Tylira and simply nodded. Her mind was still coming to terms with the fact she had been trying for hours to picture herself, where it had only felt like a few minutes from her point of view!

One thing was certain, however. Druid training was not how she imagined it to be.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

It had been a just over a week since Tylira had first taken Karis out to meditate, a task that they now did every morning. After the first few days, Karis' body started to get used to having to be up so early, although she still didn't like it.

For the first three or so days, Karis hadn't noticed any improvement in what she was trying to do. Each day, Tylira would have her try to fully picture herself in front of her, and each day she would try well into the afternoon.

She had asked Tylira why she had to do it after what felt like a rather long session. Tylira responded that if she couldn't picture herself, someone she should know very well, quickly, then she would not be able to see the spirits, something she didn't know, at all.

The answer had confused her, but she decided not to press the issue. Whilst her morning were spent meditating, she would spend what was left of her afternoons with Umber, the only human that Karis had seen in Nighthaven.

According to what Tylira had told her, Umber was the archivist in Nighthaven. He took care of all of their records and books, and was quite a knowledgeable person. Through him, Karis studied the paths and trials of previous druids in a bid to learn what she may have to face herself.

She couldn't tell if Umber was a druid himself. He never made mention of the fact, but she thought she best not ask, just in case. Not to mention the fact that he slightly creped her out with his eye patch.

Karis had asked Tylira about the old man, but she had simply avoided her question, telling her that if she really wanted to know, then she should just ask him directly. She didn't, deciding to just let it rest, instead.

After her fifth day of meditating, Karis saw a drastic improvement in what she was doing. She sat down that day, just like she had the previous days, and got into the same basic position, Tylira sitting opposite her.

Clearing her mind and regulating her breathing, she had closed her eyes in preparation of picturing herself. Almost instantly she had the blurred image of herself present, and it was clearing up rapidly. Although she felt that it had been faster than before, she didn't put too much stock in it, as she found time did indeed flow differently whilst she meditated.

It was only when she had managed to form a crystal clear depiction of herself in her mind that she opened her eyes again, letting out a cheer. Tylira then confirmed for her that she had indeed been faster than before, much faster. Her mind was getting used to the challenge that was being provided to it, and it was learning how to go about it faster, even if Karis wasn't aware.

Over the following days, it became easier and easier for Karis to complete the task. What first took her many hours to complete was soon only taking her a few hours, and eventually less than an hour.

Due to the speed at which she could now picture herself, Tylira was having Karis attempt the challenge multiple times. They would follow their same process; they would rise early in the morning, eat their food, and then go to their meditation spot. Even though it had been only a week, Karis was able to picture herself within half an hour.

As soon as she had achieved the image in her mind, Tylira would have her get up and simply look around her, let her mind fill with all the details of the trees and plants and animals, let her mind become filled with them. After ten or so minutes of this, she would then have Karis try to picture herself again, clearing her mind of all she had seen.

In that one day alone, Karis managed to speed the process up immensely, cutting the time down from its half an hour starting point, to mere minutes. Karis finally felt like she was accomplishing something.

The following morning, Tylira awoke Karis, as per normal.

"Time to rise, young one" she whispered gently, stroking some of the hair from Karis' face. Letting out a yawn, Karis opened her eyes and smiled up at Tylira before sitting up and stretching her arms out in front of her.

The marks on her shoulder ached slightly, causing Karis to rub it slightly. More of the druids had taken a look at the marks, trying to find a way of healing them. Eventually, all of them, including Tylira, came to the same conclusion: the glove that Karis' uncle had been wearing at the time of Karis' injury had had some kind of enchantment or curse. Although there was no longer any physical injury, the marks themselves could not be gotten ridden of, and could still cause pain.

"Here, let me" Tylira said gently as she reached out and placed a hand on Karis' shoulder, using a feather touch as she did. Karis relaxed as she felt the healing energies flow through Tylira into Karis, removing the dull ache, at least for the time being.

"Thank you" Karis said, smiling at Tylira before she climbed out of the bed, stretching some more as she did so. Karis had taken to wearing her training cloth, as she called it, to bed so as to save her putting it all on in the morning. She would still wear her skirt though, an item she quickly picked up from its place on the back of a chair before swiftly putting it on.

"How are you today, Tylira?" Karis asked, looking over to the Night Elf female as she stood up from the bed. Tylira smiled and moved to stand beside Karis, gently stroking her cheek.

"I am doing fine, thank you" she said with a smile. "Shall we go and get something to eat?" Karis nodded as she took hold of Tylira's hand, leading the woman out of their home and down onto the walkway towards the closest inn.

Karis had come to thoroughly enjoy eating at My'lanna's, as well as enjoying the Night Elf woman's company. As they approached the inn, Karis let go of Tylira's hand and ran into the building, almost jumping onto her seat.

"Heya My'lanna!" Karis said with a beaming smile as My'lanna walked over to Karis, returning her smile in kind.

"Morning Karis" she said, reaching over the counter and giving Karis a quick hug. "And how are you today? The usual I assume?"

"Im doing good thanks!" Karis said, settling in her seat as My'lanna brought her food to her, along with a nice warm herbal tea for her to enjoy. "How are you?"

"I am good too" My'lanna said with a smile as Tylira walked in and sat down beside Karis, offering a polite nod and smile to My'lanna, who returned the gesture.

"And how is your training going?" My'lanna asked, just as Karis took a huge bite out of her breakfast. She tried to mumble the words, but the food in her mouth made it impossible for anyone to understand her, and resulted in both Tylira and My'lanna letting out a laugh.

"Her training is going very well" Tylira said, still smiling as her own food and rink was brought to her. "It won't be long now, I don't think."

"That's good" My'lanna said with a nod, looking to Karis and smiling before turning her attention back to Tylira. "Before I forget, Tylira, Kharedon and Geenia asked me to let you know that the project you spoke to them about, they think they will be able to do it. They are going to try at least."

Karis glanced over at Tylira and My'lanna, wondering what project it could be that they were talking about. Karis had noticed that Tylira had spent a lot of time with Kharedon, the resident expert in all things light armour, as well as Geenia, one of the people who sells specialized dresses, but she thought it was just Tylira catching up on old times. She had no idea what sort of project they could be working on.

Deciding not to pursue it for the moment, Karis simply finished her food and quickly drank her drink. Smiling, she looked to Tylira who had also just finished her breakfast.

"Shall we, then?" Tylira said as she stood up, motioning for Karis to follow. With a nod and a smile, Karis jumped down from her seat, her bare feet hitting the wooden floor with a slight thump before the two of them headed out of Nighthaven.

As with every other day, they went to their usual seat, Tylira laying out their piece of cloth on the floor before the both of them sat down. Karis shivered slightly as she felt a cool breeze blow past them, goose bumps forming on her exposed skin.

"You know what to do" Tylira said with a smile as she crossed her legs, closing her own eyes, the breeze blowing her hair across her face. "As soon as you manage to picture yourself, let me know, but keep the image in your mind."

Karis simply nodded and closed her eyes. Taking in a deep breath before exhaling slowly, Karis focused on picturing herself. As with before, the image of herself appeared, almost picture perfect this time. After only a tiny amount of concentration, she had perfected the image, a small smile forming on her lips. Keeping the image in her mind, as Tylira had instructed, Karis spoke quickly.

"I have done it, Tylira" she said, trying not to open her eyes.

"Well done" Tylira responded, her voice seeming to echo as she did so. "And it only took you a few minutes. Next, however, I want you to imagine the world that you are in. I cannot tell you what to picture, that you must come up with yourself. Provide the image of yourself a world to live in."

Karis frowned slightly at the instruction, not sure of what Tylira meant. Imagine the world she was in? Exhaling slowly, whilst shrugging ever so slightly, Karis focused on the image of herself again, floating in the darkness.

_Well…I need some land to stand on first…_ she thought to herself, picturing herself standing in the middle of a large field of green grass. Smiling slightly at the sight, she focused even more, making the grass sway as if there was a gentle breeze.

Finding herself enjoying the act of creating her private world, Karis imagined the sky above, as if it were just coming to dusk, a few clouds hanging in the sky. Pleased with what she saw, Karis took a moment to study what she had pictured.

_It looks a bit bare…_ she thought as the image of herself looked around the rather empty field. The image of herself scratched her head for a moment as Karis herself tried to think what to do.

_I know! Trees!_ It didn't take much for Karis to picture the trees she wanted, and soon she was no longer standing in the middle of an open field. Her image was now stood in a small clearing, surrounded by a thick forest of trees of all shapes and sizes.

_Its missing something…_ Karis pondered some more on her little creation, her image walking around the clearing, studying the surprisingly detailed trees. The image smiled as Karis worked out what she needed. It was to quiet. Reaching into her mind, she remembered the various sounds and calls of the woodland creatures, adding them to her world.

Happy with what she had accomplished, Karis took a moment to study it and take it in. After a few moments, she realised she didn't know what to do next. Just as she was about to ask what to do next, a sudden realisation hit her: she was no longer looking at her world from above, as she had been, no longer looking at her image. She was the image.

Panic and fear started to spread through her as she ran around the small clearing, wondering what had happened. Looking up at the sky above she tried to calm down, breathing deeply and calmly. Panicking wouldn't help her. She managed to get in, surely she could get out.

Turning around, Karis almost jumped out of her skin. From between the trees of her personal forest, a mist seemed to be approaching.

"I didn't put that there…" Karis whispered as the mist approached her, seeming to sway and move gently as it came closer, coming to a stop directly in front of Karis.

"Hello..?" Karis whispered as the mist seemed to just hover in front of her. There was only silence in response, and Karis let out an exasperated sigh, turning around. It was as she turned around that a deep, echoing voice breached her mind, sending a chill down to her very soul.

_Welcome Karis, I have been waiting for you…_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Tylira slowly opened her eyes to check how Karis was doing. It had been long enough that she should have been able to create some kind of small world for her mind to dwell in. What she saw, however, was not what she had expected.

Karis was lying on her side, her eyes wide open as she stared blankly at the sky above. Tylira quickly moved over to Karis, a surge of panic entering her.

"Karis!" she called as she reached out towards the girl but stopped herself just short. Karis' eyes were glazed over, as if she was staring into space, and her breathing was if she was still deep in her meditative stance.

"No…surely not…" Tylira whispered to herself as she studied Karis, making sure not to touch the young girl. Standing up quickly, Tylira lifted up the part of cloth she had been sitting on and placed it over Karis.

"I will be right back, Karis, I promise" Tylira said as she took a step back from her. Turning, she started sprinting towards Nighthaven before leaping into the air, rapidly changing into her bird form. Within moments she was circling over the town, her small eyes trying to find the person she was looking for. As soon as she saw him, she rapidly descended.

"Loganaar!" she called out as soon as she had shifted back to her Night Elf form, causing a few gasps from those around her at the sudden sight of the naked woman. Loganaar himself turned and looked to Tylira, one of his eyebrows raised slightly.

"What is it?" he asked her, leading her to one side to offer her some privacy. The tone of his voice, Tylira noted, showed that he had picked up on the urgency in Tylira's own voice.

"Its Karis, I think something has happened. I need you to come quick" Tylira said, looking in the direction of where she had just come from. Loganaar nodded and motioned for Tylira to lead the way.

The two of them both shape shifted, Tylira into her bird form and Loganaar taking on the form of a cheetah. Tylira flew fast, Loganaar keeping up just behind her, as the two of them made their way through Nighthaven back to Karis. When they arrived, Karis was exactly as Tylira had left her.

"What happened?" Loganaar asked as he returned to his usual form. Tylira landed beside him, also changing back before quickly crouching down beside Karis.

"We were doing the mental exercises in preparation for contact with the animal spirits" Tylira said, looking up to Loganaar who also crouched down beside Karis, looking her over. "She had achieved the first stage and was able to fully and clearly picture herself after only a few minutes of meditation."

"After only just over a week?" Loganaar said, looking to Tylira who nodded. "That is rather quick. I assume you were then teaching her to create her own personal world?"

"Yes, that is what we were doing today" Tylira said, looking back down to Karis, shivering slightly as a breeze blew past them.

"You still haven't got some proper druid attire sorted?" Loganaar said, having noticed Tylira's shiver. Tylira looked to Loganaar and shook her head slightly. Whilst Tylira had lost her clothes during her shape shift, Loganaar's were still completely intact.

"I am working on it" she said, sounding slightly impatient. "Right now, let's focus on this."

"Yes, you're right, I apologise" Loganaar said, looking back down to Karis. "What happened next? Had she managed to create her world?"

"I don't know" Tylira said, sitting down on the slightly damp grass and bringing her knees to her chest, resting her head on them. "I opened my eyes to ask her and found her like this. If I didn't know any better though, I think has jumped a few lessons ahead, whether through her own choice or not. I think right now she is talking to a spirit. That's why I got you."

Loganaar remained quiet as he absorbed this new information, looking intently at Karis' open eyes. Tylira watched quietly, unsure of what to do in the situation.

"You do know how unlikely it is for an un-initiated to have achieved contact already, I assume" Loganaar said, looking at Tylira. Tylira nodded slightly in response. She did indeed know. Some people would spend months trying to contact a spirit whilst trying to learn their first form. For some it came naturally and they managed it after a couple of weeks, but very few achieved it after only a week.

"As unlikely as it is, that seems to be what has happened" came a voice from behind them. Both Tylira and Loganaar turned around to look at Remulos who was now standing behind them. Both of the Night Elves rose to their feet before bowing slightly.

"There is no need for formality" Remulos said in his usual whimsical voice. "Especially considering the circumstances…" Remulos turned his head to look at Karis as the two Night Elves stood upright. Turning his attention solely to Tylira, he continued.

"My child, as much as I know you enjoy being free, the chill in the air this evening won't do you any good." Both Remulos and Tylira seemed to chuckle slightly as Remulos reached into a bag that he was holding, pulling out a long dress, which he promptly passed to Tylira. "Here, put this on, and then we shall deal with young Karis."

Taking the dress, Tylira slipped it over her head, adjusting it slightly so that she was comfortable. She had to admit, once she had it on, that she did feel a tad warmer than before hand.

"The spirits are watching the young one with much interest" Remulos said, reaching down and running his fingers across Karis' brow. "They do not often encounter a mind so young, so full of imagination, trying to learn how to commune with them. It seems that one of them has taken it upon themselves to present themselves to her already."

Remulos paused for a moment before turning to Loganaar.

"Loganaar, return to Nighthaven and go to Karis and Tylira's room. I want you to set up Karis' bed there for her." Loganaar nodded and returned to his cheetah form, sprinting away from the scene, leaving Remulos and Tylira alone with Karis.

"What can we do?" Tylira asked Remulos, crouching down beside Karis again. "Can we even move her? I know that it can be very dangerous to move someone when they are communing with a spirit."

"My child, worry not" Remulos said, offering Tylira a gentle smile. "We will be fine to move young Karis for the time being. But we need to let her come out of this on her own." Remulos paused again as he looked at Tylira, then Karis.

"Do you remember when you were going through your druid training all those years ago? When you were learning to commune with the spirits?" he asked her, reaching down and scooping Karis up in his arms, making sure to be careful with the girl.

"Of course" Tylira said with a faint smile, moving to stand beside Remulos. "The day that I was going to attempt to commune with my first spirit, you decided to call it off due to a disturbance amongst all of the spirits."

"But you didn't listen to me, such was your way when you were younger" Remulos said. Both Tylira and Remulos let out a faint chuckle as the two of them made their way towards Nighthaven.

"No, I didn't…" Tylira said quietly, thinking back to that day. "I was unconscious for almost a week. Why do you ask?" Tylira turned her head to look at Remulos who was looking into Karis' eyes. She had a feeling she already knew why he was asking but waited for him to confirm it.

"You need to be prepared for the fact that Karis may also be in this state for a long period of time" Remulos said as the two of them entered Nighthaven. "Although I do not see it lasting as long as yours, it may still be a few days."

Tylira nodded and remained silent as they made their way to the room that Tylira and Karis called home. As they were walking, many of the townspeople stopped and bowed to Remulos, who in turn politely bowed his head, offering them smiles as well.

By time they arrived at the room, Loganaar had finished preparing Karis' bed. Remulos placed the small girl upon its surface before laying the sheets over her and gently closing her eyes.

"The two of you will need to keep care of the young one" Remulos said as he made his way towards the ramp back down into Nighthaven. "I will keep a watch over things via the spirits. Do let me know if there is any change in her condition."

With a nod, both Loganaar and Tylira watched Remulos walk away, leaving the two of them alone.

"If you need me, you know where to find me" Loganaar said to Tylira, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. Tylira nodded and smiled in thanks.

"Indeed" she said, letting out a sigh, her shoulder sagging slightly. "Come see me in the morning. I doubt I will sleep tonight, and I would prefer not to leave Karis unwatched."

"Don't worry, I will" Loganaar said with a nod before he too vanished back into Nighthaven. Picking up the cover from her own bed, Tylira climbed onto the bed beside Karis, laying down close beside her.

"Don't worry Karis, I'm here" she whispered quietly before getting herself comfortable, preparing herself for the long night ahead.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It was with a weary sigh that Karis opened her eyes, instantly groaning at the bright light. Slowly she sat up, noticing how her entire body seemed to be aching, as well as how dry her mouth felt.

Resting on the table beside her bed was a glass of water, which she gladly reached for and started to drink, almost coughing as she did so. Her throat felt like she had swallowed a huge clump of sand. Putting the glass back down on the table, she suddenly became aware of the fact that she was not where she had been when she started meditating. She was, in fact, back in her room, laying on her bed.

Had she moved herself? Was she carried? Was she dreaming? Her mind was fuzzy and she couldn't completely remember what had happened. All she knew was that she was thirsty and hungry, very hungry.

Rubbing her eyes whilst trying to stifle a yawn, Karis climbed out of her bed and walked into the main living area of her and Tylira's room. Tylira's bed was empty, Karis noted, and looked like it hadn't been slept in for a while.

"You're up at last!" came a voice suddenly, causing Karis to jump, startled by the sudden noise. Turning, she saw Loganaar getting up from a chair and quickly moving over to her.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, crouching down to get a proper look. Karis grumbled slightly, taking a step back from Loganaar. She was still waking up and was no where near prepared or awake enough for questions.

"Why don't you go and freshen up" Loganaar said, pointing to where the large tub that they used as a bath was positioned, hidden behind a large screen. "I will go and tell Tylira the good news!"

Before Karis could respond, Loganaar had sped off, leaving the girl looking rather confused. Letting out sigh, Karis walked towards the bath, still half asleep, picking up a towel as she did so.

Walking past a mirror, she looked at herself, letting out a noise of disgust at the state that her hair was in. It looked like she hadn't washed it in over a week. Knowing that it was going to take some work to sort that mess out as well, Karis picked up a brush before heading behind the screen.

The coals underneath the large tub that were used to warm up the water looked as if they had been used recently, and indeed, the water was still quite hot when Karis touched it. Stripping off her druid training garments, Karis slid into the water, submerging herself until only her head was above the surface, closing her eyes as she felt the hot water relax her body.

Taking a deep breath, Karis submerged her head under the water, feeling it almost instantly wake her up. Coming back up again, Karis reached out for the small cloth nearby and started the process of cleaning herself.

After what felt like the best wash of her life, Karis climbed out, drying herself down. Hanging on the side of the screen was a set of fresh clothes that Karis quickly took and put on. Feeling much better, she picked up the brush and started to deal with her hair as she walked out from behind the screen.

"Feeling more awake now?" Loganaar said, causing Karis to jump slightly, dropping the brush. _He must have come back whilst I was in the bath…_ Karis thought to herself as she tried to calm her heart down, reaching down and picking up the brush.

"You need to stop sneaking up on me…" Karis said, scowling slightly at Loganaar, who held up his hands in apology as Karis went back to brushing her hair.

"Sorry, it's in my nature as a druid. I sneak around a lot" he said with a slight chuckle, laughing even more as Karis stuck her tongue out at him. "Tylira will be here soon. She was just picking up some food for you to eat." At the mention of food, Karis' stomach grumbled loudly, causing Karis to clutch it, letting out a slight groan. How long had it been since she had eaten anything, anyway?

"Karis!"

Karis turned to look to the entrance of the room to see Tylira standing there, a basket in each hand with food in. Putting the baskets down, Tylira ran over, scooping Karis up in her arms and holding her tight.

"How are you feeling? Are you ok?" Tylira asked Karis, only putting her down after she heard Karis' stomach complaining.

"Im feeling fine, just a little tired…" Karis said as Tylira moved to the baskets and picked them up, placing them on the table in the middle of the room. "Why, did something happen?" Tylira glanced over to Loganaar, who was now sitting on one side of the table. He shrugged slightly before waving a hand towards Karis.

"What?" Karis asked, looking at the two of them. What had happened to her that they weren't telling? "Tell me!" Tylira let out a sigh before motioning for Karis to sit down beside her.

"What do you remember?" Tylira asked her as she folded her legs beneath her. "After we started your meditation, and I told you to create the world for yourself."

Karis looked at Tylira for a moment before frowning. She tried to think about what had happened, but every time she tried, she drew up blanks.

"I remember….making my world…then I was in it, and there was a fog…" Karis said slowly, trying to grasp hold of what happened next. "But…then I don't remember. Other than waking up here, that is. Did I fall asleep?"

"Karis…" Loganaar said as he leant forwards, placing his arms on the table, his hands grasped together. "You have been unconscious for almost a week."

Karis almost found herself falling backwards at the news. A week? Surely they were joking? The look on both Tylira and Loganaar's faces, however, told her that they weren't.

"A week?" she said, her voice quiet as her mouth tried to form words. "I have been asleep for a week?" Karis' mind struggled to come to terms with the information. It only felt like she had been meditating a few hours ago, not a week ago. "What happened?"

"We aren't sure, exactly" Tylira said quietly, pausing for a moment as she sorted through the food items, placing them on the table for the three of them to eat. "What we do know, is that you have spoken with a spirit."

As Tylira mentioned speaking with spirits, Karis felt a white hot flash in her mind, bringing her hand to her forehead with a slight moan, closing her eyes. She remembered something…some kind of creature…what was it? Why couldn't she remember? When she opened her eyes again, Tylira was offering her some food.

"You need to understand, Karis, this is highly unusual" Tylira said as Karis took the food and started to rather happily eat. "Not only are you young to begin with, but in the space of a week, you have stumbled into what takes a rather skilled person two or more weeks to do, if they are lucky."

Karis paused her eating for a moment to look at Tylira. She didn't feel any different, or at least she didn't think she did. After all, what would someone class as normal? Catching sight of Karis' puzzled expression, Tylira continued.

"The task I set you, the one where you would create your own world, that is a simple task, something that all druids need to do" she said, serving up some more food and passing it to Loganaar who happily took the food. "The idea is that you create this world, a world that you are most comfortable in, and then you enter that world.

"Once you have achieved the ability to enter your world freely, then begins the difficult part of your training." Tylira paused for a moment, serving herself some food and taking a small bite. "The world you create in your mind serves as a small connection to the spirit world. Once you can easily picture your world, and enter it, then you open it to the spirits. It is then that you have to wait and see what arrives."

"Does this happen for all spirits?" Karis asked, interrupting Tylira briefly. There were more questions she wanted to ask, and they were all struggling to escape from her mind. It was a struggle to keep them all contained.

"No, not all" Tylira said, shaking her head slightly. "The travel form is the most common one for this to happen with. The likes of the cat and bear form, as they are usually only one spirit, can be communed with directly. The travel form, however, can be anything. That is why you create your world. It is part of you and reflects your personality. Thus, a spirit of similar nature is drawn to you. For some, this takes time, yet others it can happen very quickly."

"So, how am I special?" Karis looked from Tylira to Loganaar then back to Tylira again. "How comes I was able to do all this so quickly?"

"Because you were aided" Loganaar suddenly said, drawing the attention of Karis. Loganaar looked to Tylira for a moment who nodded for him to carry on.

"For whatever reason" he continued, looking at Karis. "One of the spirits was in urgent need of making contact with someone that could help them. Due to how young you are, your mind is not as constricted as an adults mind. Your thoughts, feelings and imagination are much purer, more fluid. The spirit was able to use that to speed up the process of talking with you."

"But why?" Karis asked, starting to grow slightly impatient. They weren't providing her with any concrete answers. It was becoming obvious that they didn't even know why it had happened. "What was so important that it needed to talk to me?"

Both Tylira and Loganaar were quiet as they looked to each other before both let out slight sighs, shaking their heads. Tylira looked to Karis, reaching out and placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Unfortunately, we don't know" she said, resulting in Karis letting out an annoyed moan. "Karis, you were the one that the spirit contacted, not us. We don't know what was said to you. The only person who would know is Remulos. And that isn't guaranteed."

"Why don't we go and ask him then?" Karis said, starting to get up from the table, her appetite fading fast the more she learnt.

"Karis, you have only just woken up. You need time to relax and recuperate" Tylira said, shaking her head slightly as she also stood up. "We can speak with Remulos tomorrow. Today, you need to remain here."

"Rest?" Karis said, trying no to laugh. "I have been asleep for the last week haven't I? Isn't that enough rest!? I want to get this sorted now!" Karis instantly regretted what she had said, noticing how harsh it sounded. She also noticed that Tylira had flinched slightly.

"I'm sorry…" she quickly said as Tylira sat back down slowly. "I didn't mean to sound nasty or anything…"

Tylira remained quiet as Karis stood beside her. Loganaar looked at the two of them quietly, the only noise in the room coming from Karis' raven that was flapping its wings slightly.

"Tylira…I'm scared…" Karis whispered, reaching out and gently placing her hand on Tylira's arm. Tylira slowly turned her head and looked at the young girl, blinking slowly as she saw the tears forming in Karis' eyes.

"I know" Tylira said softly, reaching out and taking hold of Karis. She held her close to her, Karis burying her head in Tylira's shoulder. She really was scared and didn't know what was going to happen.

"Tomorrow I will take you to see Remulos, I promise" Tylira said, gently stroking Karis' back. "He will be able to help us, I'm sure."

Karis nodded slowly, staying close to Tylira. Loganaar smiled softly at the two of them, picking up his drink and finishing its contents.

"Indeed he will" he said, placing his glass down on the table. "So, until then ladies, enjoy the rest of your day."

Karis and Tylira both watched Loganaar leave, waving to him as they did. Once he was gone, Karis returned to just staying held by Tylira. Right then, the affection was just what she needed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

When Karis awoke the following morning, there was a chill in the air, coupled with a fog that looked to be spreading everywhere outside. She yawned as she climbed out of her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Her foot ached slightly as she made her way across the hard wooden floor, making sure to be quiet as she moved past the blind that was covering Tylira's bed.

"Heya raven" Karis whispered as she stood in front of the wash basin, gently petting her pet raven, who looked rather unhappy that it had been woken up.

Reaching into the basin, Karis shivered as she felt the cold water come into contact with her hands. Tylira had explained to her that the water itself was enchanted, as was the water in their bath. After each use, the enchantment would activate, purifying the water for them, rendering it clean to use again. It had helped but her mind at ease when she had first asked why they were always using the same, what she thought was, dirty water.

Scooping some of the cold water into her hands, Karis splashed it across her face, instantly feeling the water wake her up more, before looking in the mirror. Her light purple skin was starting to darken, she had noticed, but nothing that was easily noticeable. Her mother had taught her, when she was younger, that her skin would eventually start to darken slightly, most likely when she was around the age she currently was. Letting out a slight sigh, Karis scooped up more water, splashing it on her face again.

The young night elf had not slept well last night. Her dreams had been filled with images that she couldn't quite grasp, always just outside the reach of her understanding. Everything looked like a cloud of fog, and even though there were voices, she couldn't work out what was being said.

"Hopefully Remulos will shed some light on it all…" Karis mumbled as she finished her morning wash, grabbing the towel that rested on the side before moving back to her bed.

Once she was dry, Karis removed her night clothes and slipped into her druid training outfit, along with her skirt. She was starting to feel the chill in the air even more now, prompting her to walk to the edge of their "house" to look out across Moonglade.

Due to its position at the top of a hill, Nighthaven provided a good view of the area around them. Usually, Karis was able to see everything, from the trees to the guards on their patrols to the wild animals going about their lives. This time, all that Karis could see was the layer of fog obscuring the ground. She couldn't even make out the lake in the middle of Moonglade.

After standing there, looking out across Moonglade, for a few minutes Karis turned and looked back into the room. Her stomach let out a grumble, complaining that it hadn't been fed yet. Karis smiled slightly before moving over to the table, sitting down and reaching for a piece of fruit from the bowel.

"Morning, Karis" came Tylira's voice, just as Karis took a bite from the fruit. Karis turned around and looked to Tylira, waving to the other Night Elf as she made her way to the wash basin whilst stifling a yawn. "How did you sleep?"

"I have had better nights rest" Karis responded once she had swallowed her latest bite of the fruit. Tylira plunged her hands into the cold water of the wash basin, holding them there for a few moments before splashing the water over her face. "I kept having a strange dream. I kept seeing fog, and hearing voices that I couldn't understand."

Tylira turned around and looked at Karis with a slight frown, although Karis could tell it wasn't one of anger. It was more like she was trying to sort something out in her mind. Picking up another towel, Tylira dried her face and hands before walking across the room to her bed, picking up a hairbrush as she did, quickly tidying up her hair.

"That is strange" she said as she picked out her clothes for the day, opting for her lose fitting clothes. "Maybe Remulos will be able to help you with it." Karis nodded and smiled, getting up off of the floor. She was hoping for the same thing.

Once Tylira was dressed, and the both of them had eaten something, Tylira laid out what they were going to do. Their first port of call would be to Loganaar, to see if he would be coming to see Remulos with them. After that, they would go to Remulos to see what he would be able to tell them.

"Sounds simple enough" Karis said as they both walked towards the ramp that lead from the side of their house down into Nighthaven. As they made their way to Loganaar's house, Karis watched the usual activities of people rushing about, setting up their shops to prepare for the day, or others getting ready to travel to a neighbouring area for supplies not normally found in Moonglade. She liked the bustle of activity that was in Nighthaven. In Darnassus, everything was always so self sufficient. They could generally get the supplies they needed easily. But, in Nighthaven, and in Moonglade, there were plenty of things they couldn't. People had to do a fair bit of work to keep things running smoothly.

It didn't take the two of them long to reach Loganaar. He was already sitting outside waiting for them. He looked to be lost in thought, or so Karis assumed. As they approached, he stood up, waving his hand slightly in greeting. Tylira smiled and waved back, as did Karis.

"Off to see Remulos, I take it?" he said to them both once they reached him. Tylira nodded slightly, looking down to Karis and giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Indeed we are. Will you be coming with us?" she asked Loganaar, turning her attention back to him. Loganaar nodded his head slightly, brushing some of his hair back into its neat place with his hand.

"Yes, I shall" he responded, glancing to Karis. "I would like to see what Remulos says, and to find out what happened to Karis."

With Loganaar in tow, Karis and Tylira continued on towards Remulos, leaving Nighthaven. Karis remained silent as they made their way along the path towards Remulos, not sure what to say, opting instead to simply say nothing.

Tylira and Loganaar also remained silent as they walked. They occasionally looked at each other, but nothing was said between the two of them. A couple of times, the trio passed by a small patrol that often walked through Moonglade, just in case of hostiles attempting to cause trouble and mayhem.

Tylira and Loganaar paused for a brief moment to talk with one of the patrols before they carried on walking, wishing the guards the best of luck in their task. With no further stops along the way, the three of them soon arrived at Remulos' location.

"Greetings, my child" Remulos said as Tylira and Karis approached him, Loganaar stopping just a short distance from them. As usual, Karis found Remulos to contain his awe inspiring presence as he addressed them both. "And how are you, young one?" he said, looking to Karis. Karis opened her mouth to say something, but found no words would come to mind. Remulos simply smiled and nodded slightly.

"You certainly gave us a cause to worry" he continued, walking towards the two of them. Karis looked down at the ground, feeling ashamed for what had happened, something that Remulos quickly picked up on.

"There is nothing for you to feel guilty, nor ashamed of, Karis" Remulos said, placing a gentle hand upon her shoulder. When he said her name, Karis found a warm feeling taking shape in her chest that seemed to wash a feeling of cheer over her.

"What happened to you was unusual, to say the least" Remulos said, removing his hand from Karis and walking towards the middle of the shrine, gently brushing his hands along some of the bushes that rested within the shrine. "Do you remember anything that happened to you?" Remulos stopped walking, his back to Karis, and turned his head slightly so as to look at her.

"I…" Karis started, feeling on the spot as Tylira turned to look at her, along with several other people who were present at the shrine, tending to it. Karis looked at the others in the shrine, starting to feel very small and uncomfortable before looking to Tylira, slight fear in her eyes. Tylira understood and threw a look to the others, a look they quickly understood to mean "if you don't leave us be, you will regret it." The others quickly left, prompting a chuckle from Remulos who had caught sight of Tylira's look, but made no mention of it. Happy that they were once again left alone, Karis looked to Remulos.

"All I remember is being in my world…" Karis said quietly, shuffling her feet slightly. "Then there was a fog…or smoke…." Karis paused for a moment, racking her mind again, trying to think if there was anything else.

"There was a voice!" she suddenly exclaimed, looking to Tylira. "The voice spoke to me. It said it had been waiting for me…it knew my name! How did it know my name?" Karis looked to Remulos who had now turned to look at the young girl.

There was silence at the shrine for a short while as Remulos looked at Karis, and Karis looked at Remulos. It almost felt to Karis like he was staring deep into her soul, searching her. She watched as he slowly turned around and walked to a stone basin that was filled with water, running his fingers across its surface, sending tiny ripples spiralling outwards..

"A particular spirit had indeed been waiting for you, Karis." There was the feeling again, the warm feeling in her chest when Remulos said her name. "The other spirits did not know how to deal with it. It is not unheard of for spirits to directly contact people directly like this, but it is unusual for someone so young. Can you remember what else it said?"

Karis shook her head slightly at the question. All she remembered was being told that the spirit had been waiting for her. Beyond that, everything was blank. Remulos simply smiled as he saw Karis shake her head though, as if he knew that was what her reaction would be.

"Do not worry about not remembering anything" Remulos said, picking up a small, stone cup and scooping some of the water from the stone basin into it. "You had not finished your basic training. Your mind was not prepared for communing with a spirit, that's why you don't remember it." Turning around, cup in hand, Remulos approached Karis, offering the stone cup to her. Karis took the cup and looked at its contents with a questioning look before looking back to Remulos.

"This will help you to remember" Remulos said as way of explanation, nodding slightly. He looked to Tylira briefly, motioning for her to move. "You may wish to stand behind her, my child" he said with a gentle smile. Tylira nodded and moved behind Karis, who was now starting to feel slightly scared.

"It will be ok, Karis" Tylira said quietly as she gently knelt down behind Karis, noticing the scared look on the young night elf. She reached up and gently placed her hands on Karis' shoulders, smiling warmly. "I'm here."

With her hands shaking, nodding slightly, Karis brought the cup to her lips and slowly drank from its contents. The water seemed to have a slightly bitter taste to it, causing her to shiver slightly as she finished its contents. She looked at Remulos for a moment, who watched her closely.

**Nothing is happening…** she said as she looked back at the cup. It took her a few moments to realise that she hadn't actually spoken just then. Her lips hadn't moved. In fact, she noticed as she looked down, her entire body was limp in Tylira's arms.

Everything around her started to fade to white as she looked around, seeming to float upwards. Remulos seemed to be staring straight at her as everything faded. The last thing she saw was Remulos nodding slightly with a gentle smile.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The first thing Karis noticed when the light faded was that she was back in her world. She recognised the clearing, the locations of the trees, even the noises she had added. Everything, however, seemed to be a little blurry. Focusing her mind, Karis brought everything into focus.

**A beautiful world you have created, young one.**

Karis almost jumped out of her skin at the sudden voice that formed in her head. Turning around, she spotted Remulos, who seemed to be admiring the grass beneath his hooves.

"How did you get in here?" she asked him, quickly followed by her hand slapping against her forehead. She had forgotten, talking with spirits and the such was something that Remulos specialised in, and as had been explained to her, the world she had created was somewhere for her to commune with spirits, so why couldn't he arrive here?

**Good, Tylira explained the purpose of the world to you **Remulos said again, although it wasn't exactly like speech. She had watched him intently this time, and he hadn't moved his lips at all. He had, in fact, been smelling a flower at the time, seeming quite happy with the smell it produced.

"How are you doing that?" she asked him, walking over, smiling slightly as she felt the blades of grass underneath her bare feet, and between her toes. "How are you talking without…well…talking?"

**Young one, this is a spirit world, a manifestation of your mind **Remulos said, walking around the clearing some more, taking in all the sights as if he had never seen a tree before, as if he had never been outside. **The usual rules of logic and reality do not apply here. When communing with a spirit, it is often easier to use direct communication via your mind. It is something you are able to do. You did it before I sent you here. Try it.**

Karis looked at Remulos with a slight feeling of disbelief but let out a sigh. He was more versed in these matters than she was, after all. So, if he said she should be able to do something, who was she to doubt him?

**Like this? **She thought, unsure of how exactly to go about doing it. Remulos smiled and nodded slightly, although his back was turned to Karis at the time.

**Yes, like that, although you need to learn to project your thoughts better **he said, turning around and walking over to Karis. He stood beside her and placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

**Why are we here, anyway? **She asked, looking up to Remulos. He looked down to her and smiled gently.

**We are here to find out what the spirit wanted of you. **As if on cue, from between the trees and bushes the fog started to approach again. It swept its way across the ground, covering the grass from sight. It soon came to a stop just in front of Karis and Remulos.

_Greetings, again, Karis… _came the voice again. Karis noted that, although it seemed to be similar to talking by thought, in that the words just seemed to form in her mind, there was something different about it. It was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

_Have you thought about my request?_

Karis looked up to Remulos with a slight questioning look, who simply shook his head. **You need to speak with the spirit, not I **she heard him say, or rather think, to her. **I am merely here to aid you, if needed.**

Karis looked back at the fog, which swirled gently on the spot as it waited. She wondered whether to lie and say she had given it a lot of thought, or perhaps if she should just come clean about everything.

"I…" she started, stopping herself quickly as she noticed she was actually talking with her mouth. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that the spirit had told her off once before for doing that. **I don't remember what your request was…I'm sorry. **

There was a long moment of silence between the three of them. As they waited, Karis was sure she felt something looking into her mind, reading her like a book. She shivered slightly, trying to stop it, but found herself unable to.

_I see…_the voice said, the fog seeming to hold and freeze in position. _Your young mind was not fully prepared for what I subjected it to. I apologise, but my need is urgent._

**What need? **Karis asked, looking at the fog. She was still totally clueless about what she was expected to do, and was still no closer to finding out what it actually was.

The fog started to swirl again, getting faster and faster. As it did, Karis was sure it was starting to take shape and form, collecting in one spot. There was a gust of wind, as if the fog was blasted away, leaving only the shape of a fox behind. Karis blinked slightly as she looked at the shape.

It was slightly larger than a usual fox, almost the size of an average dog. Its fur was also not orange; it was instead a mixture of grey and light blue, as if it was made from the fog itself. Around its paws, some of the fog remained, swirling around as it gently moved towards Karis and Remulos.

_My name is Vulpiera, the fox spirit _the fox said, bowing its head slightly. _I believe we can aid each other in our tasks. You are looking to complete your beginner druid training, whilst I have an urgent matter that only those of the physical world can deal with. _

Karis looked at Vulpiera for a moment, then up to Remulos, who seemed to be studying the spirit fox intently.

**What task is it? **Karis asked quietly as Vulpiera sat on the ground, licking at their paw for a moment before looking up to Karis.

_We spirits are beings of cycles _the fox said, resuming its cleaning process, something that Karis found odd, considering that it was a spirit. _Our existence runs in cycles, whether it's the seasons, or the years or the position of the stars, everything in our existence has a designated time. _

_It is now approaching the time for me to head into the physical world. This is where I will need your help._

**How could I help, though? **Karis asked, slightly bewildered. She looked from Vulpiera to Remulos, looking for some kind of explanation, an explanation that Remulos provided.

**When a spirit is due to return to the physical world, they inhabit the body of a member of what they represent **he said, his "voice" remaining slow as he explained. **In the case of Vulpiera, she would inhabit the body of a newly born fox kit, where she would reside for several years before her body died and she would return to the spirit world, waiting for when they cycle travels round to her again.**

**So, what does that have to do with me helping? **Karis asked both of them. She found herself starting to get frustrated. No one had given her a straight answer, and it was starting to annoy her. Above them, the clouds started to darken as heavy clouds formed. Remulos threw a quick glance at the forming clouds before returning his gaze to Vulpiera, who didnt seem to notice the clouds.

_Karis, there are some things you need to understand _Vulpiera said, moving towards the young girl and sitting in front of her. _Whilst we spirits are powerful, it is a shared power. There is only a finite amount of power in our world. If one of us ceases to exist, the remaining spirits gain more power. The older the spirit, the more power they have been allocated, as you were, through the loss of other spirits. This is one of the many balances in life._

Karis tapped her foot impatiently as Vulpiera explained things to her. She was still waiting for an actual explanation from the fox. Picking up on the young girls impatience, Vulpiera hurriedly continued on.

_Being reborn is a dangerous time for spirits. For the first few months, we are extremely vulnerable. It is a time when malicious spirits try to destroy us, so that the power that we have is shared amongst those that remain. For the first few months, whilst we adjust to being in the physical world again, we are unable to re-connect with the spirit world. If we are killed during that state, our spirit is lost forever. _

Karis stopped tapping her foot as she looked at Vulpiera. As the fox had been speaking to her, images had flashed in her mind, conveying with it expressions of fear and worry. She was starting to understand what the problem was.

**You need someone to protect you… **she said slowly, to which the fox nodded in response.

_Yes, that is correct. But you would not need to do much. There is a place that I can go to where I will be protected for the first few months of my new life. If you can get me there, I will be safe._

**Where? **Karis asked. Vulpiera slowly stood up again and walked over to Remulos, who reached down and gently stroked the fox.

_I can only tell you if you promise to take my task _she said, turning her head to look at Karis. _Complete my task and I will grant you the right and the ability to take on the form of the fox, allowing you to complete your basic druid training._

Karis prepared herself to accept the task but was stopped as Remulos lifted up is hand to stop her. He looked at Karis quietly for a moment before he spoke, using his own mouth this time.

"Karis, you must be sure before you take this task" he said quietly, looking down at Vulpiera. "Vulpiera will be putting her entire existence into your hands. If you fail to protect her, she will die and never exist again."

Karis stalled for a moment as Remulos' words struck deep. The more she thought about it, the more worried and daunting things seemed to become. Over head, the dark clouds grew thicker, licks of lightning streaking across the sky.

Could she do it? What if she failed? Could she live with herself if it went wrong? Karis closed her eyes tight as she tried to block out the questions and worry. It was too much pressure! She was only 12 after all! How could she be expected to do it? She had made a mistake, surely, thinking she could be a druid.

_Karis…_

The soft voice of Vulpiera struck through the turmoil in Karis mind, striking to her heart. Karis opened her eyes slowly and looked at Vulpiera.

_You can do this _she said slowly, sitting down in front of Karis and looking up at her. _You have a brilliant talent for this. You are only twelve, and you have come this far already. And remember, you will not be alone in completing my task. I trust you, Karis, and I believe in you._

Karis nodded slowly, the storm overhead subsiding as her mind and soul started to calm down. She tried to control the beating in her chest, finding it slightly odd that in a place of her mind she still had a rapidly beating heart. Taking in a deep breath, Karis exhaled slowly, addressing Vulpiera.

**Vulpiera, I will take your task, and I will protect you from harm **she said in a determined voice, nodding as she did so. The fox seemed to almost smile at the response and took a step away from Karis.

_I am glad to know… _she said bowing her head slightly.

**So…what do I need to do? What now? **Karis asked quietly. She watched with a slightly raised eyebrow as Remulos stood away from Karis, Vulpiera crouching down close to the ground, as if getting ready to pounce on an invisible prey.

_You will know soon enough… _Vulpiera said, her tail twitching slightly.

Before Karis could ask any further questions, Vulpiera pounced forwards towards Karis. With a look of shock and bewilderment, Karis watched as Vulpiera collided with her chest, seeming to merge with her own body.

All around her, thing started to fall apart as Karis fell to her knees. Once again, everything started to turn white, the world around her turning fuzzy before finally she slipped into unconsciousness.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Karis slowly opened her eyes, bringing up her hand to shield them from the light that was now trying to blind her. She mumbled slightly as she sat up, her eyes adjusting themselves as she took in the sights around her. She was still at the shrine it seemed, laying on top of a moss covered stone table. Karis looked around, spotting Tylira and Remulos talking to each other a short distance away.

Karis wondered what they were talking about, guessing that it was probably something to do with her, with what had happened in her dream. Or was it a vision? She didn't know how these things worked. She would need to remember to ask about that later on. For the moment, all Karis could feel was a burning desire to go to Ashenvale again.

Placing her hands down on the edges of the table, taking a moment to smile at how soft and squishy the moss seemed to be between her fingers, Karis jumped down onto the equally soft ground, losing her footing slightly as she did and stumbling. She grumbled under her breath as she quickly righted herself, looking around to make sure no one had seen her.

With a slight nod, glad that she hadn't been spotted, Karis quickly made her way over to Remulos and Tylira. As she approached them, they both turned to look at her, Tylira giving the young night elf a warm smile.

"How are you feeling?" she asked Karis, crouching down and giving her a gentle hug. Karis returned the hug with a smile before letting go, letting Tylira stand up straight again.

"I'm doing ok" Karis said with a nod. She did indeed feel good; better than she had done for a little while, actually. She couldn't think how to explain it, because it wasn't something that she was sure of herself. All that Karis knew was that she felt really good. That, and the fact that she felt like she really should be in Ashenvale.

"Good" Tylira said with a nod, smiling some more. "Remulos has just been telling me about what happened in your world" she said, waving a hand towards Remulos, who nodded slightly from his position behind Tylira. "You have been given your task then."

Karis nodded eagerly as she caught sight of Tyliras smile increasing even more at the mention of Karis' task. Tylira seemed to be quite proud of Karis for that fact, and that made Karis even happier. Any fears or worries about the task seemed to have vanished from her mind.

"You realise, of course" Remulos suddenly said, his gentle voice cutting in. "We will be unable to tell you what to do from here." Karis gulped as she looked over to Remulos. With that one sentence, the fear had come back, placing a large lump in both her stomach and throat. Remulos smiled slightly, easily picking up on the fear that had rapidly formed in the young girls mind.

"Do not worry, young one" he said, walking towards her, a warm breeze seeming to follow him. "I do not mean that you will be by yourself. At this point, only you know the details of your task. We do not know where you need to go, or what you may have to do when you are there. All we can do, and by we, I mean Tylira, is be there to help you."

Karis nodded slowly, her fear abating slightly. She was glad to know that Tylira would be there for her, to help her. She had been worried for a moment that she would be expected to go by herself, something that she was certain she wouldn't have been able to do.

"For now, however, I advise you both to go home" Remulos continued, reaching out and gently placing one hand on Tylira, and the other on Karis. "Get some rest, and get something to eat. Then you can plan for your task, hmm?" Remulos gave the two of them a smile before he walked away, leaving them alone.

Karis remained silent as they returned to Nighthaven, Loganaar walking along side her. She knew that both he and Tylira were talking to her, but she was too distracted. She just kept thinking about the Ashenvale, images of a specific tree flashing in her mind. Karis was so engrossed in her thoughts, that she didn't notice Tylira stop walking, her attention drawn to a sign. It wasn't until Tylira called out to her that she snapped back, the tone of her voice causing something to jar in Karis' mind.

"Karis…come over here" she called out. Karis was sure she heard worry in Tylira's voice, something that she really didn't like to hear. With a slow pace, Karis walked up to Tylira, Loganaar following behind her.

Attached to the board that held many different signs and posters was a picture. Karis looked at the picture, blinking a few times to ensure she was looking at it right. It was a picture of her. Below the picture was a short piece of text.

_ Karis- If anyone has any information on this individual's whereabouts, send word to Darnassus immediately._

_General Durun_

"That's my uncles' name…" Karis said quietly as she looked at the picture before slowly looking up to Tylira. There was a startled shout as My'lanna suddenly appeared from around the corner, stopping in her tracks.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, quickly hurrying over and taking hold of the poster, tearing it off of the wall. "I thought I had found them all…" she said with a disgusted looked, rolling the poster up and sticking it into a bag.

"There have been more of them?" Tylira asked the inn keeper, turning her attention to her. My'lanna nodded and opened up her bag, which was filled with rolled up posters.

"There was one about you, as well, Tylira" she said as she closed her bag again. "Something about how you are dangerous and a wanted fugitive, I believe. It was put up by the same person. The moment the man left, I tore them straight down,"

"What did he look like?" Karis asked quietly, looking down at the ground and shuffling her feet slightly. She could already guess what the answer would be, but part of her was hoping that she was wrong.

"The man?" My'lanna asked before scratching her chin slightly. "He looked old. He had white hair, and quite a few scars and cuts. Oh, and one of his ears was half missing."

Karis shuddered as My'lanna confirmed the description of her uncle, quickly hurrying over to Tylira, clinging onto the older Night Elf, who gently placed a hand on Karis' shoulder.

"Is he still here?" Tylira asked quietly, crouching down and gently hugging the frightened Karis.

"No, he has left. He wasn't here long. Just asked that if we saw either of you two that we let him know." My'lanna shook her head slightly and let out a sigh. "I didn't trust him from the moment I saw him, to be honest, but I don't know how everyone else will react. He was flashing his rank around a lot. Some people might be scared into telling him you are here."

Karis looked up at My'lanna as Tylira went silent, as if she was thinking to herself. Loganaar, who had remained silent, finally spoke up, drawing attention to himself by clearing his throat.

"It would be best if you quickly moved on, then" he said, looking to Tylira and Karis. His face seemed to be one of determination, but also slight anger. Tylira had told Loganaar about Karis' uncle before, and he had been disgusted by the Generals actions. "Karis, I am going to assume you know where you need to go? It should be easily worked out. Your mind should be urging you to go to one location."

Karis nodded slightly, brushing some hair from her face as she did so.

"Yeah, to Ashenvale, I think…" Karis said quietly. Loganaar nodded in agreement before placing a hand gently on Tylira's shoulder.

"You two go home, gather some things together and get moving" he said quietly, casting a quick look around. A few other inhabitants of the town were starting to look over to them, giving them odd looks. "I will keep an eye on things here whilst you are gone. Be safe."

Tylira nodded, standing upright and giving Loganaar a gentle hug. As they pulled apart, their arms lingered around each other for a moment before they completed broke off. With a gentle smile, he turned and left quickly. My'lanna watched him go for a moment before turning her attention back to Tylira.

"Before I forget, there is a package waiting for you at your home" she said quickly, nodding slightly as she did, as if checking off something in her mind. Tylira thanked her and they both bowed to each other before My'lanna sped off, leaving only Tylira and Karis behind.

"Why do you think he is looking for me?" Karis finally said, breaking the silence that was descending upon the two of them. The thought of her uncle was making the marks on her shoulder ache again, causing her to reach up and gently rub her shoulder.

"I do not know…" Tylira said, shaking her head slightly. "But we best get moving. I would rather not run into that waste of a man again." Karis nodded in agreement and the two of them quickly made their way back through Nighthaven, heading to their room.

As they swiftly moved through Nighthaven, Karis caught sight of a few of the residents giving both Tylira and Karis odd looks. She tried to ignore them, but each time she saw one, a feeling of worry formed in the pit of her stomach. She didn't relax until both Tylira and herself were back in their room.

"Pack your clothes, Karis" Tylira said as she picked up a bag and passed it to the young girl. Karis nodded and placed the bag on the table before rushing over to her bed, opening the drawers by the table and pulling out some clothes. Her pet raven, which was resting quietly on the table, let out a squawk.

"Heya little guy" Karis said with a smile, gently petting the raven on the head, causing it to playfully nip at Karis' fingers. "Come on, we gotta get moving!"

The raven let out another squawk as it made the short trip onto Karis' shoulder. With a smile, Karis quickly hurried back to the table, placing her clothes into the bag. Resting in the middle of the table, Karis caught sight of a large box.

"Tylira, is this box yours?" she called out, looking over to where Tylira's bed was set up. Tylira stuck her head around from behind the screen, a slightly questioning look on her face. Still looking at the box, Tylira walked quietly over to it, her bare feet barely making a sound as she moved. Karis assumed that the box was the package that My'lanna had mentioned earlier

Quietly, and with some excitement, Karis watched as Tylira opened the box. As soon as the older night elf saw the contents a huge smile broke across her face.

"Wait right here, Karis" she said as she picked up the box. Before Karis could ask any questions, Tylira had vanished around the corner, and all Karis could here now was what she guessed was Tylira emptying the box.

With a shrug, Karis turned around and returned to packing her bag, making sure everything was neatly in place.

"How do I look?" came Tylira's voice from behind Karis, prompting her to turn around. Standing there, one hand on her hip, a huge smile on her face, was Tylira in a full set of armour. Karis marvelled at the sight of it.

It looked to be a snug fit on Tylira, almost skin tight. It was clearly made of leather, but it was almost white in colour, perhaps closer to ivory, Karis guessed, with a dark green underlay. On the pieces of shoulder armour were some white feathers acting as trimming, which looked to be the only decorative aspect to the armour, save for two blue orbs that were also present on the shoulders. There was also a pair of gloves and boots that Tylira was wearing that matched the set, completing the look.

"You look amazing!" Karis said, her voice filled with childlike glee. Tylira smiled some more and gave a slight twirl.

"And that's not the best part" she said, giving Karis a wink. Karis watched with interest as Tylira shifted into her bird form, stretching out her wings for a moment before shifting back. Karis covered her eyes, expecting Tylira to now be standing there with a ruined set of armour. As she slowly moved her hand away, she was surprised to see quite the opposite. The armour was still intact and in its pristine condition.

"You found the right clothes!" Karis said with a giggle, to which Tylira nodded.

"Indeed I did" she said, looking down at her new armour, still smiling. With a happy sigh, she looked back up at Karis. "Now, come on, let's finish packing. We need to get out of here and get you to Ashenvale." Still smiling and giggling , Karis spun on her heel and returned to packing her bag.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Karis gripped Tylira tightly as they both soared through the air. The wind blew about her wildly, her face splattered with rain as the storm around them raged on. Karis knew that they were getting closer to Ashenvale, but the closer they got, the more violent the storm became.

A flash of light caused the young girl to let out a cry of terror as a bolt of lightning flew past them. This was certainly getting to be a dangerous trip for the two of them, but Karis had to admire the way that Tylira was moving through the air.

The druid seemed to be dodging and weaving about, as if anticipating where the next bolt of lightning was going to strike. In fact, none of them had actually come close to striking them, they just appeared to have.

Karis closed her eyes tight as there was another flash a short distance away. Her clothes were starting to become soaked through, even though they were quite thick in nature. Getting closer, Karis was able to make out the shape of a tower, the bolts of lightning illuminating the structure.

With a dip of her wings, Tylira caused the two of them to hurtle down towards the tower, Karis now starting to shiver from the cold. As they approached the tower, now flying just above the ground, Karis began to recognise it. They were approaching Raynewood Retreat.

As they flew up the hill to the Retreat, the Sentinels on guard stiffened slightly, their hands moving to their weapons in preparation. Karis couldn't help but notice that none of them seemed too happy to be out in the heavy rain, feeling slightly sorry for them.

As they approached the entrance to the Retreat, several of the Sentinels from inside came outside looking to be ready to attack. Upon seeing Karis, however, several of them relaxed, smiles spreading across their now soaking wet faces.

"Welcome!" one of them called out as Tylira landed just outside the entrance, allowing Karis to climb off before she shape shifted back into her Night Elf form.

"Quickly, get inside from the rain!" another said, ushering the two of them into the dry. The moment Karis was inside the Retreat she felt warmer. The Sentinels lead them further inside, taking them into a room where a warm fire was happily roaring.

"It is good to see you both again" came a voice from behind them, causing Karis and Tylira to turn around. Karis recognised the Sentinel before them; Sentinel Leya. When they had been in the Retreat before for those few days, she had been the one who watched over them the most.

"And you as well, Leya" Tylira said with a gentle bow and a smile. "Sorry to drop in unannounced like this, but the storm outside has been rather hectic."

"No need to apologise" Leya said, shaking her head slightly whilst smiling. "It is a powerful storm that is raging out there. Better to be safe in here and amongst friends, than soaking wet out there, hmm?"

Tylira smiled more and nodded slightly. Leya motioned for Tylira and Karis to sit down beside the fire, which they both promptly did. Karis held out her hands towards the fire, feeling its warmth reach out and lap at her bare palms.

After letting her hands warm up for a few moments, Karis pulled open her bag, her pet raven inside letting out a squawk as it ruffled its feathers and flew out, landing on a shelf near by. Karis smiled at the raven, watching it for a moment before slowly turning to look at the fire, catching part of a conversation between Tylira and Leya.

"You should know, the General came back here a few days after you had left. He was furious, looking to find both you and Karis. He was none too pleased with us, either."

Tylira nodded slightly as she listened to Leya. From the corner of her eye, she could see Tylira throw a quick look to her, but Karis ignored it, staying focused on the fire, listening intently to what was being said.

"He threatened us all with being dismissed from service as Sentinels and being sent to the front lines against what ever Horde force was attacking at the time." Karis heard Leya let out a slight sigh, pausing for a moment before continuing.

"None of us told him anything, though. We stood our ground and he eventually left, more furious than he was before. After seeing what he did to Karis, none of us are going to listen to that waste of a man. You are safe with us."

"Thank you" Tylira said, Karis hearing her rise from her seat and pace about slightly. "Your help is greatly appreciated. We had to leave from Moonglade earlier than we had planned due to his arrival at Nighthaven."

Karis closed her eyes as she thought about the poster she had seen of herself in Nighthaven. Her Uncle seemed to be determined to track her down again. As she thought about Nighthaven, Karis' stomach let out a growl in complain. There was a laugh from beside her that caused Karis to open her eyes.

"When was the last time you ate?" Leya asked Karis, looking over to her. Karis thought for a moment, realising that it had indeed been a while since she had eaten. They hadn't had the chance to eat before fleeing from Moonglade.

"A while…" Karis said quietly, looking down at the floor, the light from the fire causing shadows to dance along the hard wood surface.

"Then let's get you something to eat, then you can both get some rest whilst we wait for the storm to clear, agreed?" Leya said before motioning to one of the Sentinels who stood guard at the door. The other Sentinel nodded before vanishing through the door way.

A short while later, the Sentinel returned with two other Night Elf in tow. They each placed a selection of food down on a near by table, the smell of which only made Karis' stomach grumble even more. As soon as she was passed a plate, Karis rushed to the table picking up all sorts of pieces of food to munch on.

"She really is hungry" Leya said, letting out a laugh as she watched Karis happily eat away at the food, savouring the taste of every item, occasionally offering some to her raven who had flown back over to her. "So, what else brings you to Ashenvale?" Leya asked, turning to Tylira.

Both Karis and Tylira stopped what they were doing, looking at each other. Tylira seemed to shrug slightly at Karis, as if asking if it was ok to tell her. Karis simply nodded slightly and smiled. She didn't really see the problem with telling at least Leya what they were doing.

"We are here as part of Karis' druid training" Tylira said, turning to look back to Leya who nodded slightly. "Although, we aren't entirely sure what we will be doing here yet. All we know is that we need to be here."

"Well, I hope that your training can wait until the storm has passed" Leya said looking over to Karis. There was silence for a moment before Karis realised that an unspoken question was being asked of her.

"Oh! Sorry!" she said, placing a piece of food back onto her plate quickly, feeling slightly embarrassed that she hadn't realised she was being asked something. "Yeah, I think it is ok to wait for a little while at least" she said, nodding her head slightly.

"Good" Leya said with a smile, standing up. "I have some duties I need to attend to. When you are done here, there is a room set aside that you can use until the storm has passed." With a polite bow, Leya left the room, the other Sentinels in the room following behind her so that only Tylira and Karis remained.

"Are you sure that we can wait?" Tylira asked Karis quietly, moving to sit beside the young girl. Karis finished chewing on the food in her mouth before swallowing it.

"Yeah, I think so…" she said quietly. "I can't explain it… but I don't feel like I need to hurry yet, if that makes sense?"

Tylira nodded slightly and smiled, reaching out and gently stroking the back of Karis' head, causing her to smile, closing her eyes.

"Yes, I understand what you are trying to say" she said with a faint laugh, looking at the young night elf. The two of them remained quiet for a short while, the only noise coming from the crackling of the fire, as Karis and Tylira finished eating their food.

"Hey, Tylira?" Karis suddenly said, looking over to Tylira as she took a sip from a glass of water. "What did you have to do for your first form?"

Tylira visibly paused for a moment, her eyes seeming to glaze over as she stared into space. A faint smile crept across her lips as she bowed her head slightly, some lose hair falling across her face.

"It was a long time ago now" she said slowly, her voice soft and quiet, almost to the point where Karis had to strain to hear her. "Unlike you, and most other druids, I didn't learn my travel form first. The first one I obtained was that of my aquatic form."

Karis nodded slightly, brushing some of her own hair behind her ear. She had read about some of the various aquatic forms that druids had obtained when she was first in Nighthaven. It was a form that a lot of druids didn't learn, unless they were looking to become masters of the art.

"I had to save a group of orca whales who were being forced onto beaches by goblin traders and left to die before being harvested for meat and other products." Tylira's gaze shifted to the fire, which she watched intently for a moment.

"Did you manage it?" Karis asked quietly, moving along her seat so that she was sat closer to Tylira.

"Yeah, I managed it eventually" Tylira said, a slight happy note present in her voice. "We managed to do more than save them, as well. We managed to shut down the harvesting company too. The spirit I had been talking with was very grateful for what I had done."

"Wow…" Karis said quietly, sitting back in the seat she was in, looking off at the far wall, picturing in her mind Tylira saving the orca's and stopping the goblins. "Were you scared at all?"

"Scared?" Tylira repeated, looking to Karis. A smile spread across her face before she moved so that she was sat down beside Karis. "I was terrified" she said with a laugh. "But it was made easier because I had people there to help me, like I am here to help you."

Karis couldn't help but let out a large smile as she listened to Tylira. What she had said was just what she needed to help soothe any fears that were niggling away at her. Closing her eyes, Karis leant against Tylira, the older Night Elf putting a gentle arm around her.

"Tomorrow…" Karis suddenly said, opening her eyes. "We will need to get moving tomorrow…" Tylira looked down at Karis, a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

"Are you talking about your task?" she asked quietly, watching as Karis sat up. The young girl nodded slightly. Karis wasn't sure why she suddenly knew that tomorrow they had to go. It was just a feeling, like everything else to do with the task so far. She hadn't known for sure that they had to come to Ashenvale for example, it had just been a feeling.

"Well then…" Tylira said, slowly getting up from the chair, stretching out her arms above her head, her armour moving easily with her. "Tomorrow we will set out and hopefully we can complete your task."

Karis smiled and nodded her head eagerly. She was getting very close now! All she had to do was complete the task, and then Vulpiera would grant her the ability to turn into a fox.

Karis jumped out of her chair and wrapped her arms around Tylira, hugging her tightly, a hug that Tylira happily returned. All she had to do now was wait until morning, a wait that she knew was going to be a long one.


	15. A note from the Writer

Heya guys and girls,

Loc here with an update with regards to my stories and the lack of updates of late.

First off, let me just say thank you for reading them, and the feedback that has been given. I wasn't sure about posting these up when someone suggested it to me, but I am glad I have. It has given me a nice big boost in confidence and spurned me on to write more!

But, on to the purpose of this little post: an explanation as to why I have been slow on updates.

The first reason is a lack of time as of late. I work full time, so finding periods where I can put in the required amount of time to get something decent typed up doesn't happen as often as I would like. Couple that with trips out of the country over the last month means I haven't had the chance to sit down and type up much.

The second one, and perhaps maybe the primary reason, is something I am trying to do. My Tales of Warcraft stories all happen within the same universe. Normally, this just means that characters from one story will appear in another (like how Tylira appears in both the Footman Clark story and this one).

However, there is one point where I have an actual crossover planned between two stories, namely this one and another of my Warcraft tales, Eversong. The crossover itself is very minor. It's only for a few paragraphs and the such. However, I want to get the two relevant chapters posted at the same time, in case people are interested in seeing things from the other angle.

I actually have most of the next chapter of Karis typed up and ready to go. But, I don't have much of the Eversong chapter typed up yet.

So, I ask you, please be patient with me whilst I try and get this out to you all. Take the time to have a look at Eversong if you haven't read it before. You never know, you may enjoy it.

And again, thank you for taking the time to read my stories!

Loc


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

"Are you sure you won't take anyone with you?"

Tylira looked at Leya and smiled politely, shaking her head as she did so. She turned her head to look at Karis, who seemed to be playing happily with her pet raven before looking back to the Sentinel.

"I appreciate the gesture, I do" she said, reaching out and gently placing a hand on the Sentinel's shoulder. "But this will be easier if it just Karis and I." The Sentinel nodded in understanding, letting out a slight sigh as she did.

"Very well, but please be careful" she said as Tylira let her arm drop back down to her side. "There are quite a few hunting parties dotted around. Some hunt for food, others just for sport."

Tylira caught sight of a slightly displeased look on Leya's face at the last part of her sentence, resulting in one of her own eyebrows rising slightly. Tylira got the impression that she didn't like the fact there were those that hunted in the vale for nothing more than the fun of it. She had to admit, the thought of it didn't please her that much either.

"Don't worry, I will keep my eye out for them" Tylira said, offering another polite smile to Leya, a smile that the Sentinel returned.

"Well, take care Tylira" Leya said before looking over to Karis, raising her voice as she did so. "And you take care as well, Karis!" Karis turned her head and smiled at Leya, nodding slightly as she did.

"Until next time, then, Leya" Tylira said, bowing slightly. Leya returned the bow, shortly before the two Night Elves walked away from each other. Tylira walked over to Karis, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.

"Are you ready, Karis?" she asked her quietly, looking down at her as the young girl looked back up. Karis nodded, smiling as she did so, her pet raven letting out a squawk as it took flight, circling above them.

"Yeah, lets get going" Karis said, looking up at the raven before looking down the path that would lead them further into Ashenvale. Tylira looked at Karis quietly, wondering what the young girl was thinking about, how she was feeling about the task ahead of her. Sighing inwardly, she shook her head slightly. So long as Karis knew that Tylira was there to help, that was all that mattered.

Taking one last look at the Retreat behind them, Tylira led Karis down the path. Karis started to hum quietly to herself as they made their way along the well trodden road, the gentle noise causing Tylira to smile softly. She remembered her own first task and how scared and worried she had been, yet Karis seemed to be completely at peace with things. But, that was only on the surface.

"Are you worried about your task?" Tylira asked softly, trying to find out more from her. Karis' pace seemed to slow down as her brow furrowed slightly, causing faint wrinkles in her light purple skin. Her smile faltered a small amount, the humming stopping. Tylira stopped walking and studied the young girl as she carried on walking, not seeming to answer the question.

"Karis?" Tylira called out, causing the girl to stop in her step. Slowly, Karis turned and looked at Tylira, smiling faintly as she did so. Tylira walked up to her, crouching down and looking into her eyes. Up close, Tylira could see the worry in them. "What is it?" Tylira whispered quietly, lightly brushing a piece of hair from Karis' face.

"I don't know…" Karis whispered quietly, looking away from Tylira for a moment, as if embarrassed. "It's a lot for me to take in, I guess? I really want to make this work, to become a druid, like you, but what if I fail? What if I mess up and something happens to Vulpiera? What if…" Karis' sentence was stopped as Tylira lightly placed a finger on her lips, smiling softly.

"Karis, it's understandable that you are worried" she said quietly, giving Karis a reassuring smile as she spoke, gently brushing away tears that had started to take shape around Karis' eyes. "You are right, it is a lot to take in. And yes, things may go wrong. But, if you spend all your time worrying about what could go wrong, all that's going to happen is that it will go wrong. I believe in you, that you can do this, and that you will become a great druid one day. You just need to have faith in yourself."

Gently, Tylira wrapped her arms around Karis, embracing her in a soft hug. Slowly, the young girl wrapped her own tiny arms around Tylira, nodding slightly as she did so. Overhead, Karis' raven squawked and landed on Karis' shoulder, seeming to nuzzle her cheek, causing her to laugh slightly, a sound that made Tylira smile as well.

"See? Even your raven is comforting you" Tylira said, letting out a chuckle as Karis slowly pulled back from the hug, using her sleeve to wipe away what was left of the tears in her eyes. Karis nodded, smiling as she reached up and lightly petted her raven companion, who playfully nipped at the hand. The happy moment, however was rapidly broken by the sounds of cheers and shouting.

Tylira looked to the side, into the woods, just in time to see a silver furred animal sprint through a clearing, a look of fear and panic on its face, followed a few moments afterwards by a group of Night Elves brandishing their weapons eagerly, some armed with spears and nets, others with swords. _A hunting party…_Tylira thought to herself as she watched with an angered look.

"Karis…." Tylira said, slowly standing up, her eyes still looking at the now empty space where she had just seen the creature and its chasers. "Get on." Looking down to the young girl, who was looking at Tylira with a confused look, Tylira smiled before dropping to all fours. Fingers digging into the ground, Tylira closed her eyes as she started to feel the change come over her; the process of her bones rapidly changing shape and realigning, a long tail shooting outwards from the base of her spine, thick, dark purple fur sprouting from all over her body as her armour glowed and changed with her.

It took only a matter of seconds, but the change was complete. Tylira turned her now feline head to look at Karis who looked back with a slightly stunned but amazed look on her face. Tylira lay down on the ground, still keeping her eyes locked onto Karis. Slowly, Karis walked closer to Tylira before smiling more, seeming to understand the previous command. Taking a firm but gentle hold of Tylira, Karis climbed onto the druids back, holding on as she rose up onto all four paws again, letting out a gentle growl as she did.

"I'm ready" Karis said to Tylira as she crouched down, holding on tightly with hands and legs. Tylira nodded her head slightly before breaking into a gentle jog, Karis' grip tightening slightly at the same time. Slowly at first, Tylira picked up speed, bounding through the woods of Ashenvale. Her improved senses quickly picked up on the hunting party ahead, but also something else, something different. Something that now sent a chill down Tylira's feline spine.

As they came closer, Tylira slowed down, coming to a final stop next to a tree, the hunting party hidden just beyond the bushes in front of the tree, along with the strange presence. Tylira shook herself slightly, indicating for Karis to climb down, who slid off of the back of her feline mount. Nudging the young girl slightly, Tylira got Karis to hide behind the tree before the druid slowly crept closer.

"I don't care if we've interfered with your hunt! For what reason do you hunt this beast, hm?" came a female voice that sounded rather angry. It also didn't sound quite right. "You seem well clothed, and this is not the sort you would hunt for food!" They were speaking Darnassian, that was certain enough, but it had a slight twang to it, as if it wasn't the speaker's native tongue. Creeping closer, Tylira quickly understood why.

In front of the group of Night Elf hunters stood two figures, one male and one female, and both Blood Elves. The first, the male, was standing a short distance from the hunting group, the silver furred creature from before hiding behind his long black robe. He looked to be young, possibly in his late teens, if not a little older and his hair was long and darkly coloured. His eyes had the same shine that all Blood Elf eyes had, and they looked to be watching the hunters warily. Strapped to his back was a staff, marking him as someone who probably knew how to cast a few spells.

The other figure, however, was the one that Tylira had felt the strange presence from. Striking an imposing figure as she stood in front of the hunters, the woman was brandishing a large two handed sword effortlessly in one hand, pointed at the group. Her hair was a shining silver, almost white colour that matched her pale skin. Her eyes shone bright blue, seeming even brighter than normal thanks to her pale complexion. She wore heavy armour all over her body, and hanging from her back looked to be a dark coloured cloak. What bothered Tylira most about the woman, however, was that the armour had the unmistakable design of a Death Knight, a Scourge warrior, and most definitely a dangerous foe.

Without hesitating, Tylira leapt from behind the bushes, landing in between the woman and the hunting party, causing both to take a step back in surprise. Tylira let out a slight growl at the two groups, the Blood Elf looking at Tylira with a puzzled look. The woman seemed to come to a kind of understanding as Tylira shifted back into her Night Elf form.

"Halt, my brothers and sisters" Tylira said as she looked to the hunting party, holding up her hand towards them. She had caught sight of them out of the corner of her eye starting to approach again, most likely with intentions of attacking the "Death Knight". Though grumbling slightly, the Night Elves all stopped moving, hands gripping their weapons tightly. Slowly, Tylira looked towards the female Blood Elf.

"Who are you, and why are you in our forest?" Tylira said slowly and cautiously in the native Blood Elf tongue, making sure to put a tone of seriousness into her voice. The male Blood Elf seemed to let out a grateful sigh and mutter something to himself as Tylira spoke.

Tylira watched as the female motioned to the younger male to step forwards, as if to imply that he should be the one to talk. Walking over to the silver furred creature, the woman stopped, placing a hand gently on the males shoulder, whispering something to him before crouching down and softly petting the creature, an act that caused Tylira to raise an eyebrow in surprise.

"Hello" the male Blood Elf said, taking a step forwards, his eyes seeming to warily watch the hunters behind Tylira. He also seemed to be a tad unsure of himself, wringing his hands nervously. Taking a deep breath, he started to talk.

"My name is Erthos, and this is my friend, Rastuazi" he started, motioning to the female behind him, who was still lightly stroking the creature. "We didn't come here to cause any trouble, we are only passing through. My friend has become an outcast, rejected by her own family. We don't have anywhere to go, so we are travelling."

Tylira looked at the young Blood Elf quietly, staring at him and trying to work him out as he appeared to do the same in return. His words sounded sincere, and his expression displayed the same. If anything, this Erthos was someone who meant well. His friend however, Rastuazi as he had named her, was a different matter. Being close to the woman had only confirmed Tylira's concern that she was a Death Knight.

"I can feel the Scourge energies within your friend" Tylira says quietly, watching as Rastuazi rose to her full height, the beast now rubbing against her armoured leg happily. "And yet…she does not act like one of them…" Erthos followed Tylira's gaze to Rastuazi as the Night Elf thought to herself about what to do. Although she could feel the Scourge taint on the female Blood Elf, she couldn't sense any actual malice from her. Letting out a sigh, she made her decision.

"You may travel our lands, for now" Tylira said slowly, looking to Erthos. "Do not expect to be welcome in our towns, however. But, so long as you keep to yourselves, the Sentinels will not cause you harm. If they do, tell them that Tylira has granted you passage, and they will let you through."

Erthos smiled, and the Blood Elf visibly relaxed. He nodded politely, almost looking like he was about to shake Tylira's hand, apparently changing his mind at the last second. Instead he bowed slightly, an act that caused Tylira to raise an eyebrow slightly.

"Thank you" he said, standing up straight again. "We will make sure to stay out of the way during our journey." Tylira nodded in response, watching as Erthos returned to Rastuazi, watching the two of them quietly. The two of them struck her as odd, a Death Knight who had a mind of her own, and a Blood Elf who Tylira could tell had a fair bit of power, but seemed too scared to use it. If she didn't have to take care of Karis, Tylira knew she would spend a lot of time watching over the two of them, to study them.

Shaking her head slightly, Tylira instead turned on the spot to look at the hunting party who were shuffling about on their feet, eyes still watching their lost prey, as well as throwing the occasional look to the two Blood Elves.

"Get out of here, now" Tylira suddenly said, her voice filled with anger, dripping with hate. "Leave and don't ever hunt here again, understand me?" The hunters looked at Tylira for a moment, studying her, assessing her. A couple of them seemed to smile, as if deeming her an easy task, a thought that the druid picked up on. As two of them took a step towards her, a flash of anger tore through Tylira.

"I said LEAVE!" Tylira almost roared, her arm and hand changing into the shape of a large bear claw, eyes blazing with fury and rage. Both the hunters and the two Blood Elves looked at Tylira with shock from the sudden outburst. The hunters seemed to remain frozen for a moment before they turned and ran into the trees and bushes, leaving Tylira alone with Erthos and Rastuazi.

The druid stayed standing with her back towards the Blood Elves, taking slow deep breaths as she brought her anger under control. She knew that she shouldn't let it get the better of her, but she also knew how much she hated people like those hunters. Closing her eyes, Tylira took another deep breath before exhaling slowly, her arm and hand returning to normal.

"Until next time Erthos, Rastuazi" Tylira said to the two of them before shifting into her Nightsaber form, sprinting into the forest and leaving the two of them alone. With that distraction taken care of, Tylira could return to focusing on Karis. With a deft leap, Tylira pounced over to where she had left Karis. When she landed, she came to a stop, her feline eyes narrowing. She sniffed around, checking the area. This was certainly where she had told Karis to stay, the same spot. There was only one difference. Karis was missing.


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Karis had been watching Tylira talk with the two strangers when it first started. It was just a faint itch on the back of her neck, easily dealt with by scratching her skin. But then it came back, only stronger. It wasn't painful, whatever it was. It just felt like something crawling underneath her skin, only there wasn't anything there.

Soon Karis felt herself standing up, the grass below her starting to straighten out where her knees had been crushing it down. Her motions and movements felt slow, lumbering, as if she was moving through treacle. But all the while, nothing felt wrong. The entire process felt right, as if it was meant to happen, and Karis was fine with it to carry on.

Tylira's voice became quieter as Karis walked away, until finally she couldn't hear her. Instead, her ears were filled with the sounds of the woods around her. Birds whistled over head, singing their songs whilst the beasts both large and small ran past the young girl, none of them paying attention to her.

It took Karis a moment to realise that all the creatures that were running past, they were all running in the same direction, heading back along the path she had been heading along. She stopped walking, turning her head to the side to look at the animals running past. Her hand reached up and lightly rubbed her shoulder, the scar that her uncle had left behind starting to throb slightly.

With her hand dropping back down to her side, Karis returned to walking slowly, heading in the direction that all the animals were running from. A faint smile formed on her lips as she felt the soft ground beneath her bare feet, the blades of grass sticking between her toes with each step. A warm breeze travelled through the trees, wrapping its way around Karis, bringing with it a soft whisper.

_….Karis…._

Karis stopped again, wondering if she had heard the wind talking to her just now, the animals still running past, ignoring her. Again, the wind blew around her, repeating the same word, calling her name. Slowly, she turned on the spot, looking around, finding herself laughing at the fact that she knew she should be scared, but wasn't.

"Whose there?" Karis called out, feeling a chill run down her spine that caused her entire body to shake. Overhead, a squawk rang out, louder than any other, causing Karis' head to whip skywards. Above her, her raven was circling, its beady eyes looking down at the ground. Karis was so distracted that when the wind spoke again, it caused her to jump on the spot.

…._Karis, its me, Vulpiera…._

Karis felt her hairs stand on end at the mention of Vulpieras name, her mouth and throat going dry. She looked around, expecting to see the spirit creature, but was only greeted by trees and bushes. With her hands clasped tightly together, Karis closed her eyes, trying to clear her mind.

**Vulpiera? Where are you? What's going on? **Karis asked as she felt herself fall out of the haze she was in. Fear started to creep into her mind as the noises around her became less friendly. The animals that were rushing past started to get closer, as if to knock her over, and joining it all was a thick fog that gathered around her legs.

_Remain calm, Karis… _came Vulpieras voice, cutting through the fog and the fear in her mind. _It is almost time… time for you to keep your promise. Do you remember?_

Karis nodded slightly, fighting the urge to let out a whimper as a large sabre cat ran past, knocking into her slightly and causing her to stumble. **Yes, I remember. Why are all the animals running?**

_They are scared, Karis… _Karis could sense the tension and worry that was present in what Vulpiera was saying to her, and all it did was make the young night elf's own fear compound, growing stronger. She began to ask what had them scared, but was cut off before she could start. _There is something in the vale, something amongst the trees and bushes. It is coming to find me, Karis, and to kill me. _

**What is it? **Karis asked, holding back the shakes that kept trying to overtake her body. Even as the thoughts and ideas of what else could be heading to Vulpiera were taking shape in Karis' mind, she found herself walking onwards once more, unable to stop her legs from moving.

There was only silence across the winds as Karis walked ever forwards, more and more animals running past her, trying to escape whatever it was that Karis was now walking towards. Even her raven seemed to have abandoned her as the fog continued to swirl across her feet, obscuring them from view. Karis' mind shifted to Tylira, her thoughts wondering where the older night elf was.

**Vulpiera? **Karis thought, no answer from her initial question presenting itself. There was still no response from the spirit as Karis finally brought herself to a stop, the canopy of trees over head stopping any light from coming through.

_I am here Karis… _Karis found herself smiling and feeling safer at feeling the spirits words take shape in her mind. What came next, however, removed that feeling. _I do not know what is here… it feels like a spirit, but moves like a man… take caution, young one…I look forward to meeting you…._

As Vulpiera finished talking, Karis could feel a presence taking shape around her. She couldn't think how to describe it as she looked around, the shadows in the bushes and trees seeming to twist and contort. It felt as if something had crossed over from an unseen realm, something foreign, and it was now taking residence nearby.

As Karis' eyes darted around, jumping from shadow to shadow, the presence grew, the gravity of the situation increasing. It wasn't long before the young girl collapsed to her knees, arms wrapped around her body tightly as tears rolled down her cheeks onto the floor.

"What am I doing…?" she whispered between sobs, curling up into a ball and rolling on her side. Karis closed her eyes tightly as she shivered and cried, the fog rising over her in gentle waves. She knew she had to get up, knew she had a promise to keep, but her body refused to accept it, stopped her from moving.

"Tylira….where are you…" Karis murmured, waiting for the elder druid to come leaping through the fog to her aid. It seemed like an eternity that she waited, but no one came, not even any other creatures escaping the new threat. Karis was just left alone to her thoughts.

It was within those thoughts that something started to take shape. This was a trial. This was Karis' trial, her own personal trial. It wasn't Tylira's, it wasn't Remulos' and it wasn't Vulpiera's. It was hers. She had to complete it, had to prove she could do it. Vulpiera was counting on her. Tylira was waiting for her to pass. She might not be here in person, but she was certainly with her in spirit!

Placing her palms flat on the damp ground, Karis pushed up, sniffling slightly as she did so. She rose from the ground, standing up straight. She adjusted her hair with one hand, pushing it in place, whilst wiping the tears from her eyes with the other. Above her, the sun found a gap in the canopy to shine through, a gap that had a shadow pass over as Karis' raven flew down and landed on its owners shoulder.

Karis couldn't help but let out a laugh as she lightly petted the raven, receiving a light nuzzle in response from the bird. Karis stretched her arms out above her head, the raven taking flight as she did, before her arms dropped back down to her sides.

"I can do this, Tylira, I promise" Karis said with a smile, looking behind her for a brief moment. With renewed vigour, Karis sprinted through the trees, ducking and weaving between the low hanging branches of the trees. As got closer, two things started to become apparent to the young girl.

First off was the presence. It didn't feel anything like it had before. She could still feel something odd and unusual around her, but at the same time it carried a feeling of gentleness, even friendliness at times, Karis thought. The other thing she noticed, however, was slowly forging something filled with worry inside her.

As she ran onwards, Karis was coming across more and more branches that had been cut down, bushes that were thoroughly trampled upon, and not by animal foot. Whilst the animals appeared to have been very careful when making their mass exodus, this person had been almost deliberate in their damage. _Could this be the other thing? _Karis thought to herself as she paused for a moment, running a hand along a gash that had been made in a tree.

Shaking her head slightly, trying to focus it on the task at hand, Karis sprinted onwards again. She wasn't entirely sure on where she was going as she leapt over roots and carefully pushed large leaves out of the way, but she was certain she was going the right way.

Sprinting through a small clearing, Karis came to a sudden stop with a yelp, as if she had ran straight into a wall. She stood on the spot for a moment, dazed as her sense slowly came back to her. Slowly, she reached out with a hand in front of her. There was nothing there that could have caused her to stop, and whatever had made her stop hadn't harmed her. It didn't take her long to figure out what it was.

"I must be getting close then…" Karis whispered to herself as she took a careful step forwards. The presence that she had felt before had suddenly gotten a lot stronger, and where she hadn't been ready for it, it had overwhelmed her senses. Taking it slow and steady, Karis made her way forwards, eyes looking around for signs of anything.

In the silence of the small clearing came a piercing little cry, a cry that, at first, Karis didn't think was real. After the second and third times of hearing it, she started to hunt around going to the edge of the clearing as she followed the noise. When she found the source of the noise, Karis couldn't help but let out a little squeal.

Nestled inside a hole in a large tree was a fox that was curled up in a ball. Upon seeing Karis, the fox slowly uncurled to show three small fox kits, all letting out little whimpers as they nuzzled up to their mother, obviously new-borns. As Karis looked at them with eyes full of glee, the mother seemed to lightly nudge one of the kits towards her before looking up at Karis again.

Karis tilted her head to the side slightly, confused by the action, before looking at the kit. Unlike the other two, whose eyes were still closed and were still whimpering, this one was looking straight at Karis, eyes open, not a sound coming forth.

"Vulpiera?" Karis said with slight disbelief as she slowly reached out to pick up the kit. Karis' hands stopped short as she looked at the mother for a moment, unsure if she should pick up the small kit incase she was wrong. As response, the mother seemed to just lay her head down on the ground, eyes closed. With a smile, Karis lightly picked up the kit before her.

The moment that her fingers came into contact with the kit, Karis felt her mind fill with a rush of images. She knew instantly that it was indeed Vulpiera she held in her hands. But with that knowledge came another understanding. The presence she had felt, the one that had felt so kind and friendly, it didn't belong to Vulpiera.

Karis let out a cry of pain as a hand clamped down on her shoulder, squeezing tightly. Vulpiera leapt back to the fox mother as Karis turned her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Her eyes met with the hand that was now gripping her shoulder, a hand that fit the scar that was already present perfectly. Body shuddering, Karis slowly looked behind her into the snarling face of the one man she didn't want to run into.

"Hello, niece."


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

Karis' body was frozen in place as she looked into her uncle's face, the pain in her shoulder starting to grow as his grip tightened. Behind her, the fox kits made little whimpering noises, their mother curling up tightly around her young, eyeing the male night elf with a look of severe caution.

"You have caused me a lot of trouble, young one" the man known to Karis as her uncle, the General Durun, said slowly. Slowly he pulled her away from the small hole where the foxes were waiting. When he next spoke, his voice was filled with a deep, malicious tone that caused Karis to shudder violently.

"The pain you have put your family through, those that love you, it is beyond acceptable!" Spittle erupted from Duruns mouth as he spoke, Karis flinching every time it struck her skin, her body shuddering slightly underneath his vice like grip. "You need to be taught your proper place in life!"

Karis let out a whimper of her own as she dared to look into her uncles eyes before letting out a gasp. Although normally a milky white in colour, they now presented themselves as a dark glowing red, almost black shade. Karis could almost feel the hatred that was burning behind them, a hatred that didn't feel like it belonged inside her uncle.

Durun seemed to pause for a moment as he looked at Karis, having noticed the look of shock on her face. He let out a deep, guttural laugh, throwing his head back as he did. Slowly he looked back at Karis, a horrid sneer spread across his face as he did so, before he yanked Karis away, almost throwing her, to the centre of the small clearing.

"I found some help" Durun said slowly, his voice sounding no where near as angry as it had, although still filled with danger. "A friend, if you will, came to me with a problem, a problem that we both shared."

As Durun spoke, he released his grip on Karis' shoulder, the young girl falling to her knees as he did so. She watched him start to pace around her in a circle, rubbing the palm of one of his hands with his thumb. Karis' eyes darted to where the kit's rested in their small hole, Vulpiera being the only one that dared to look their way.

"Yes, the little fox kits" came Duruns voice suddenly, causing Karis to jump slightly. She turned her head to look at her uncle who now stood with his arms folded against his chest, eyes glowing deeply. "The spirits don't want them alive, and the only thing that is keeping them from getting what they want, is you."

Karis felt a wave of dread wash over her as her uncle spoke, her mind starting to form a very good idea of what was going on. Arms and legs shaking, Karis slowly stood up, her shoulder send ripples of pain through her body as she moved. She did her best to ignore it, tears rolling down her cheeks as she did so.

"You're possessed by them?" Karis asked quietly, taking a step towards putting herself between her uncle and the fox kits. Before she had even finished taking the step, her uncles hand lashed out, striking her across the cheek with enough force to not only knock her back down onto the ground, but also leave a gash on her skin, a thin trail of blood quickly forming.

Karis cried out freely as she brought her hand gingerly to her cheek, looking over at Durun with blurred vision as he slowly walked closer to her. He crouched down in front of her, staring deeply into her eyes, his face only a couple of centimetres from her own.

"I didn't say you could talk…" he said slowly and angrily before standing upright again. When he started to talk again, the anger had left his voice once more. "You are right though! The spirits have chosen me as a vessel. I am here to bring you back to the Hold, to punish you for what you have done. In doing so, I help the spirits and receive their blessing. Everyone wins."

Again, Duruns face contorted to show the horrid sneer as he looked at Karis, his larger form blocking out the sun and throwing a shadow over the young girl. All Karis could do was whimper as she felt her cheek start to swell slightly. She had come so close getting Vulpiera, and now she was so far away. But she held onto one sliver of hope.

_Tylira… _Karis thought to herself as she watched her uncle stand over her, the General seeming to revel in the site of the helpless girl before him. _Any minute now, you will come and save me… _

"Well, I best go and do what I set out to do" Durun suddenly said, snapping Karis out of her thoughts. With a quick spin on his heel, Durun started to walk towards where Vulpiera was hiding, the small kit doing its best to hide amongst the others.

"No! Leave them alone!" Karis called out as she realised what her uncle planned to do. She readied another protest, but quickly stopped as Durun threw her a look, a look that made her fear for her life. Karis trembled as again her thoughts turned to Tylira.

"Where are you…" Karis whispered to herself as she glanced around the edges of the clearing, looking for any sign that the female druid was approaching. But there was nothing. No one came bursting from bushes or the trees, not even a bird flew over head. The only movement was from her uncle who now stood in front of the foxes. Steeling herself, Karis knew what she had to do.

Reaching out, Durun picked up one of the kits, holding it in front of his face. The small creature whinged at him as it squirmed in his grip. Durun smiled as his grip tightened around the creature, the life being squeezed from it, the squealing getting louder and more frantic. Before the task could be finished though, Durun let out a loud snarl, pain shooting through his knee, the kit falling from his grip.

As quick as she could, Karis grabbed the falling kit with her spare hand, her other hand holding onto the thick piece of wood that she had just used to attack her uncles knee. Before he had a chance to react, Karis ran away from her uncle, gripping the small kit in her hand.

Before she even had a chance to think about where to hide the small creature, there was a squawk from overhead, the familiar squawk that belonged to Karis' pet raven. The large black bird swooped down as fast as it could, its talons gently taking hold of the kit before flying off. Karis felt her heart rise as the raven flew the kit to the safety of a nearby tree before circling overhead again. Too late, however, Karis turned around.

Her uncle had recovered from the surprise attack, his anger boiling over. He had taken advantage of the momentary distraction provided by the arrival of the raven and had gone in for the attack again. Just as Karis had started turning, he lashed out with his fist, connecting with the young girls side, sending her sprawling with a cry of pain.

He advanced quickly on Karis as she tried to rapidly crawl away from her possessed uncle. With a shriek, the raven flew down again, distracting Durun long enough for Karis to get onto her feet again, running to the other side of the clearing, brandishing her makeshift weapon in her hand.

Through tear filled eyes, her side wracked with pain, Karis watched as Durun, continued to swipe at the raven before letting out a roar of anger, a roar that emitted so much force that Karis felt herself stumble slightly. Dazed, the raven flew into a tree before hitting the floor. With a snarl, Durun turned on the spot before sprinting towards Karis.

Letting out a cry of terror, and without thinking, Karis leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding her uncles grip as she curled into a ball, hitting the floor with a thud as she rolled. Again, she scrambled to her feet, just managing to avoid Duruns grasping hands.

Panting for breath, fearing for her life, Karis sprinted as fast as she could away from her uncle, adrenaline pumping through her body. She knew that if her uncle reached her that would be it. She could feel his hate reaching outwards, trying to grasp hold of her as much as his own hands were.

Taking advantage of her more agile form, Karis quickly turned on the spot, dashing to the side. Her much larger uncle couldn't turn as quick, instead watching as Karis built up the distance between them, but he was soon running after her again. Karis knew she couldn't keep the chase going forever though. Her side was causing more and more pain, and her uncle had more energy. Steeling herself, Karis switched her strategy.

Gripping her weapon tightly, Karis came to a sudden stop, swinging the weapon with all her might. Her uncle tried to bring himself to a stop as he realised what was coming, but failed to manage it. With a loud crunch, and the splintering of wood, Karis' weapon collided with Duruns stomach. The weapon was ripped from Karis' hands, causing more scrapes and lesions to take shape, as her uncle fell forwards due to his momentum, colliding with the floor before coming to a stop, face down.

Karis remained frozen in place, watching her uncle. Her hands burned, her side throbbed and her legs wanted to give way. Before her, her uncle lay prone on the floor. Karis couldn't help but smile to herself, an act that sent pain through her cheek, at the knowledge that she had taken down her uncle. Following that feeling, however, was one of concern. Crouching down, Karis carefully nudged Duruns arm.

"Uncle?" she asked quietly, finding herself wondering if he was ok. He still made no movement as Karis nudged him again. She hadn't wanted to kill him, she only wanted to make him stop. "Uncle, are you ok?" Even after the pain he had caused her, Karis felt a ball of worry form in the pit of her stomach. The worry rapidly vanished.

As fast as a bolt of lightning, Duruns arm shot out, grasping Karis' wrist tightly. The young night elf struggled in the vice like grip, clawing at the hand with her free hand as her uncle pushed himself up off the floor. Slowly, he rose to his full height before raising up his arm, forcing Karis to stand up.

Nothing was said as the two looked at each other, Karis eyes filled with tears as she tried to get away, Duruns own eyes filled hate and anger. Slowly, Durun reached out with his free hand, wrapping his large fingers tightly around Karis' throat. The corners of his lips curled upwards as he watched Karis' eyes go wide with terror, her mouth open as she started to gasp for breath.

Karis could feel the life fading from her as she struggled to stay conscious. The pain that was in her body was replaced with a burning in her chest, her lungs demanding more oxygen that they just weren't getting. As the darkness started to descend across her vision, Karis only heard one voice.

"Drop her right now!"

Turning on the spot, still gripping Karis in his hand, Durun looked in the direction of the voice. Standing in the middle of the clearing, a large staff in hand, a look of anger in her eyes, was Tylira. Neither Tylira nor Durun moved for what seemed like an eternity to Karis as she struggled to stay awake. Suddenly, Durun let out a loud laugh, throwing Karis to the side. Although she hit the ground, sending more pain through her body, Karis didn't care. She could breathe again and, more importantly, Tylira had arrived.

"I have been thinking about killing you, you know" Durun said as he and Tylira started to circle each other. "You shouldn't have attacked me when we last met. What was going on was none of your business."

"I wasn't going to stand by whilst you hurt an innocent young girl" Tylira said quietly, her voice still remaining soft, even with the anger that was present in her eyes. "I am giving you one chance, General. You are not in your right mind. Come with me peacefully, and no more harm needs to come to anyone."

"I'm sorry?" Durun stopped walking and looked at Tylira, almost as if he couldn't believe what he had heard. A short moment later, he burst out laughing again. "There is nothing you can do to stop me, druid. I am more powerful than you can ever imagine. No, I won't come peacefully."

Without skipping a heart beat, Durun lunged forwards, drawing the sword that was at his side and swinging it at Tylira. Moving just as fast as the General was, Tylira raised her staff and blocked his attack, forcing him back for a moment.

"So be it" she said, gripping her weapon tightly. "Then let what happens next be on your head." Raising her staff, Tylira sent a bolt of magic towards Durun, the night elf expertly rolling to the side to avoid it. Not giving Durun a chance to rest, Tylira lunged forwards, sweeping out with her staff. Bringing his sword round, Durun parried the attack before lunging forwards with his shoulder, colliding with Tylira and sending her stumbling backwards.

"Is that the best you can do?" Durun laughed, mocking Tylira as she regained her composure. Tylira looked over to Karis for a moment before she jammed her staff into the ground, raising her hands up in front of herself. Durun watched with interest before mimicking her actions, throwing his sword to one side and raising up his own hands.

Karis watched as the two of them moved towards each other, neither of them throwing a punch. All of a sudden, the fight began again. Karis wasn't sure who had started it, but they were both fully engaged. Both fighters expertly dodged and weaved past their opponents strikes, none of them seeming to land to begin with. As the fight went on, however, the strikes came closer and closer. Both Tylira and Durun had assessed each other and were now pushing harder.

Durun let out a grunt as Tylira landed the first punch to his chest. He soon followed up with his own strike that hit Tylira's arm. More and more they landed hits, even with the both of them performing an intricate dance between them. But, soon, that wasn't enough. Durun swung out with his foot, Tylira moving just a fraction too slow. Her legs were swept out from under her, quickly followed by Durun slamming his fist down into her chest, winding her and pushing her firmly into the ground.

"I am disappointed, druid" Durun said with glee as Tylira gasped desperately for breath, her body aching from the intensive fight. "But I am glad you're here." With a demented chuckle, Durun walked over to his sword, picking it up and tossing it from one hand to another, seemingly un-phased by the encounter. "It means you get to watch as I finally dispatch of dear little Karis. I do hope you enjoy it." With another chuckle, Tylira watched as Durun approached Karis, the young girl starting to sob uncontrollably.

"No…" Tylira said as she slowly pushed herself onto her elbows. "Leave her alone…" Durun didn't listen as he reached down and picked up Karis. The young girl screamed out as he lifted her up, readying his sword to strike. Karis watched with anguish as the sword was raised up, glinting in the light. What happened next happened so fast, it almost came as a blur.

With a cry of pain and anger, Tylira pushed herself off of the floor. In a heartbeat, she shifted into her bear form, lashing upwards with her paw with immense force, so much so that Durun was lifted upwards into the air. Without wasting time, Tylira leapt into the air after him, taking on her cat form. Durun twisted in the air, just in time to see Tylira lash out at him with razor sharp claws, tearing into his skin.

As Durun started to fall again, Tylira shifted back to her Night Elf form. As Karis watched, she seemed to hang gracefully in place before returning to her bear form. Durun hit the ground heavily, moments before Tylira landed on top of him, causing the General to cry out in pain and anguish. Raising his hands, Durun started to beat on the large bear on top of him, an act that Tylira started to return.

Karis watched in horror as the two beat at each other, their blood starting to pool around them. It wasn't long before Duruns attacks slowed down before stopping all together. Tylira's however, continued. Realising what was happening, Karis quickly rushed over, stumbling as she did. Falling forwards she reached out, placing her arms over Tylira.

"Don't kill him!" she said, her voice rough, her throat sore. "You've beaten him…it's over…no more…please…" All her energy drained, Karis slowly slid down Tylira's side as she stopped attacking. She continued to mumble as she closed her eyes, slipping deeply into blissful unconsciousness.

Sitting amongst the small kits and their mother, Vulpiera watched the three night elves quietly, a small twinkle in her eyes. With a yawn and a small mewl, the small kit curled up and fell asleep.


End file.
